Please could a Recruiter give me some CV advise?

[midnightmoon8]

I've been in the same secretarial role for many years and have decided I'm going to start searching for a new role so have been updating my CV over the Christmas break. My CV as it currently stands has all the jobs I've had since I joined the workforce age 17 in the 1980s - this means it runs to several pages and I've been reading that a modern CV should only be 2 pages. I'm wondering how many years job history to include? Do I just include, say, the last 10 years but if so won't prospective new employers wonder what I did in all the intervening years?

Focus on the last 10-15 years of relevant experience as employers will know that earlier roles may not be as relevant especially if they are not directly related to the position(s) you're applying for. To address potential gaps you can summarise your earlier career in a short section at the end such as

Previous Experience
Various administrative and secretarial roles in list the sectors and dates (eg 1983–2000)
Developed strong transferable skills in (and here list skills relevant to your target roles, such as organisation, communication, teamwork or whatever)
Demonstrated reliability and commitment in supporting (list the sort of stuff you did)

Keep it in reverse chronological order, build a good basic CV and then make a copy for each role you apply for and really customise it and tailor to that role for each specific job application to highlight the most relevant skills, experiences and qualifications for that particular role. The idea is to show employers that you’re a good match for their needs by aligning your CV with the job description and requirements.

Hope that helps a bit and good luck.

Put in the last 2 jobs, highlighting only the skills that a relevant to the new role.
Then add I have been in the workforce since 1980:and during that time I have.. ….then detail what is relevant. Actual activities, not things like”I have excellent time management skills’ as it is too vague. Instead put, “my roles have frequently required me to meet tight deadline, interact closely with senior management and coach those in junior roles’. Make sure you can give examples at interview.

I cannot stand long CVs full of woolly phrases. The interviewer needs something to get their teeth into something.

Have a back up at interview example for non work based achievements. I was told that the reason I got a role that I thought was aiming too high. It
was when asked about planning, I spoke of taking 36 children to cub camp, planning 7 days of activities and menus. As well as making sure all leaders had enough rest breaks.

Use ChatGPT to give you some ideas- but make it your own voice after! Put in the job description of a role you’re interested in and ask it to optimise a cv for that role.

The best book I've read on how to write a CV is called Pitch Yourself, by Bill Faust. You need to spend a few hours working on it, but it is so worth it.

The book shows you how to describe what YOU bring, and put it together in a compelling way. And has many sample CVs to inspire.

Always check your spelling (see advice -vs- advise in your thread title) - I'm not trying to be an 4rse here, it's genuinely one thing a good employer will look at.