How to Write a CV: A Guide for Roofing Professionals

Robbie Kerr, Director of roofing recruitment specialists, The Externals Group, shares his expert tips on how to write a stand-out CV – including the dos and don’ts roofing contractors should look out for.

Robbie Kerr, Director at The Externals Group

At the Externals Group, we review thousands of CVs on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, a large majority of CVs we see are of a very low standard. I once received a CV that was just a name and four words. Another still had an AI prompt in it – twice.

You don’t need a perfect CV to stand out – don’t get me wrong, a visually attractive CV will certainly help – but to get through the application process, it isn’t an absolute requirement. A decent CV isn’t complicated but it’s often overlooked. A well-written CV is one of the biggest indicators of a candidate’s competency, even before the interview.

Keep it Clean and Simple

So what makes a CV decent? Start with the basics.

Correct spelling and good grammar are non-negotiable. Your CV could have an immaculate layout and include all the experience required for the job but if it’s full of spelling and grammar mistakes, there’s a high chance of it being passed over by most hiring managers.

In my teenage years, this wasn’t something I was good at. I once went into an interview and the interviewer had my CV in hand with every spelling and grammar mistake highlighted. Most people aren’t that way inclined, but the point was made.

Don’t change formatting; keep the same fonts (readable and simple, nothing fancy), styles, and colours. Make sure it’s readable, include proper headings and use proper spacing. Hiring managers and recruiters tend to skim through CVs as they receive such a high volume, so the key is to make sure it is clear and readable with no obvious errors.

Your CV can be as long as you like. The myth that it has to be only 1 or 2 pages is just that, a myth. It can be as long or short as it needs to be, most can fit into 4 pages or less but there is no hard or fast rule. For example, if you are fresh out of school, one page is likely fine. If you have 30 years of work history, four may be more necessary. Additionally, if you are including a portfolio, I would advise sending it as a separate document.

General Structure

• Name
• Contact Details / Location
• Brief Person Statement (optional)
• Skills Section
• Work History (in order of most recent to oldest; include a job title, company name, dates and key responsibilities)
• Education & Qualifications (if you are fresh out of education, this section should come before your work history)

For your location, a generalised area is fine and recommended over including an actual address.

If you have experience in the role which you are applying for, include a line underneath with your industry and job title, e.g. ‘Commercial Roofing Project Manager’.

Use the skills section of your CV to specify software you’ve used, roofing systems like single-ply, TPO, commercial or residential experience. Think of it as a keyword section. With AI scanning and general skimming, this is often the first place recruiters look to establish relevance.

Things to avoid including in your CV:

• Don’t include pages of information on your job role – a simple summary is more than enough.
• Don’t include your date of birth as this can influence age bias.
• Don’t include reference contact details or “references available on request”. If a company requires a reference, they will ask for it. Only provide references when requested to ensure data protection.
• Only go into detail on your most recent job roles. Keep information about your old jobs very brief.
• Avoid using generic statements like “hard worker” or “team player”.
• Don’t get AI to write your CV. Recruiters can tell when CVs have been written by AI. That being said, you can use it as a tool to enhance what you already have.
• Avoid using overly fancy formatting styles, especially those created with AI.

>> Read more about recruitment in the news