CV Writing Guidelines

Your CV is the first impression of you and it is very important that you present yourself and your background in an appropriate way. A good childcare or domestic employee CV should include the following:-

Personal Details

Put these at the top of your CV so it is immediately clear who we are reading about.

  • Name
  • Address
  • Telephone number
  • Email address
  • Photograph (not essential but enables us to read your CV on a more personal level)
  • Personal Statement Use this opportunity to express why you would suit the position, highlighting your relevant achievements .(It would be helpful if you could specify what visa you are currently on, if you hold a driving licence, what type of work you were looking for and where you would like to work. However this personal statement should not be more than 10 lines long)

Career History (most recent first)

 Include:

  1. Dates – start and finish (month, year)
  2. Name of employer
  3. Details of children – i.e. twins, premature, 4 month old, new-born etc.
  4. Location
  5. Any extra details – i.e. breastfeeding, reflux baby, colic, premature etc.
  6. Interests
  7. Provide reasons for a career change or an explanation of gaps in your career history.

Qualifications (most recent first)

 Include:

  1. Start and end dates (month and year is fine) of the course/ degree
  2. Name of establishment
  3. Qualification gained

References (most recent first)

References will be checked so you must provide full contact details of previous employers.

Include:-

  1. name,
  2. address
  3. telephone numbers
  4. And email

 It is wise to include these on a separate sheet.

 On the actual CV it is fine to say, ‘References available on Request’

CV Writing Tips

  • Be succinct. We don’t want repetition of job duties for similar work positions. ‘As above’ will do, however do make sure to include any extra duties that were asked of in any posts. E.g.  Postnatal depression experience, special needs and extensive travel with families, etc.
  • Presentation is key; make sure you use uniform style and legible fonts (Arial and Times, size 12 is the safest option).
  • Check your spelling!
  • A cover note is particularly important. This helps us to find the most suitable jobs for you