Dos and Don’ts of Writing your Audit CV

Dos and Don’ts of Writing your Audit CVThe first thing your potential employer will see of you is your CV, either through a recruiter or directly. The presentation of it can have a huge impact on whether your CV is even read. Once you have written an alluring covering letter you will need to create a successful CV and you should consider what you put in it carefully. This can be the difference between getting your CV read or not.

Take a look at our dos and don’ts on how to create a successful audit CV:

 

Dos:

There are many factors that you will need to consider in writing a successful audit CV and how better way to start, than by going through what you should include.

  • Firstly you need to make sure you always keep your CV constructive. Think about what your employers would want to see in your CV. Do you have the audit skills that they would value, make sure they are presented clearly on your CV.
  • Create your CV for the internal or external audit job you want; this is your chance to self-market, so make sure you match your skills to the job in mind.
  • Always make sure your CV is neat and tidy. Despite the temptation to fit in as much as possible so that the employer can see the many skills you have, it will be more effective for you to have a clean and easy to read CV that only has the relevant information on it.
  • It’s a simple change to make but you should use a font that is easy to read and the text should be justified to the left.
  • You will have been told this time and time again, but you must remember to spell check and then spell check again. An eye for detail is a vital skill to have as an auditor and missing a spelling mistake on your audit CV is not a good first impression.
  • Always discuss your experience in a positive light. Look at things objectively and show that you have learnt and developed your skills throughout your career.
  • Remember to use positive and powerful words when describing your work achievements. Words like ‘launched’, ‘managed’, motivated’, supervised’, and ‘achieved’.
  • As well as being positive, you should list your CV in reverse chronological order. Relevant and import information that promotes you for that audit roles should come first, whereas education and other experiences that aren’t directly relevant should go last. Make sure you quote concrete and factual outcome to support your claims.
  • Do find inspiration from sample CVs on the internet, this will help with finding a tone and layout.
  • Remember to promote yourself and find your USP. This will help you to stand out from the crowd.
  • It’s an obvious factor, but always include your up-to-date contact details. You want to make it as easy as possible for the employer to contact you.

 

Don’ts:

Below we have listed a couple of points that you should aim to avoid in developing your audit CV.

  • Avoid using a font that is difficult to read.
  • Don’t use negative language or information; this is a chance to impress the employer. It’s not a case of lying, but rather leaving out unnecessary information that could jeopardise your chance of getting an interview. You don’t need to lie but just don’t include information about failed exams, divorces, failed business ventures, reasons for leaving a job, points on your driving license.
  • You do not need to provide information that could discriminate you such as; date of birth, marital status, gender, race and disability.
  • Your CV is not the place to put your salary desires. Leave that to when you need to negotiate your salary once you have been offered the job.
  • Aim to keep your CV two pages long or under. You don’t need to write your life story; therefore you can remove irrelevant information such as your first job after school. You can also keep information short about the jobs that don’t connect you to the new job. This will create more space for you to go into detail on the relevant jobs.
  • Leading on from this, the aim is to make sure your audit CV is concentrated. Your potential new employer wants to see information that will help them to see what you can do for them, not what your favourite hobbies are.
  • Don’t use jargon, technical terms or acronyms.
  • Don’t lie on your CV about things you have done. It may come back and have negative consequences for you. If your employer finds out that you have been lying on your CV then they can fire you as a result.
  • Finally, don’t use a photo unless requested.

 

You can head to our 'Careers advice' section for information on preparing for an audit job interview or go to our ‘Find a Job’ page to find your new audit job. 

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