Discrimination on age is illegal in the UK and whether you put your date of birth on your CV is down to your personal preference. CVs we receive in the main have the date of birth stated.
Your CV
Avoid any phrase that may sound overly formal or ‘pompous’. Different people have different views on this of course, but here are examples that we feel generally fall in this overly formal category:
- CVs written in the third person (e.g. ‘Clive has in-depth experience....’)
- Covering letters with phrases like ‘herewith’
- Use of the phrase ‘curriculum vitae’ rather than less formal abbreviation ‘CV’
- Use of the phrase “I have over twenty years’ experience” – recruiters are – of course – after quality (i.e. what you did) not quantity (how long you did if for)
Above all, make your CV a good one. A good CV highlights your strengths, is relevant to your target audience and is easy to read. We will feature an article of General CV writing rules later.