Creating your CV

Creating your childcare CV doesn’t need to be hard, it just takes knowledge of the basics, plus a little creativity!

Print off an example of a CV here

CV Tips

• Your CV is the first point of contact with the family and your best chance to be asked for an interview. It should be well written, formatted properly and be informative.
• Presentation is key, use a clear, easy-to-read font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman, no smaller than 10point and use bold or larger font to highlight headings.
• Be consistent – if one heading is in BOLD or underlined, all headings MUST be BOLD or underlined.
• Check your spelling and grammar!
• There is no need to write a book, 1-2 pages is acceptable. Parents and agencies just want a general overview of your work experience and will ask you for more detail during your interview.
• Ensure you include your contact details, an address is not necessary but include your location. If you include an email address it should sound professional!
• Attaching a photo of yourself is not a requirement but if you wish to attach one please make sure it is professional and appropriate.
• Try not to repeat yourself to much, if your positions have involved similar duties then ‘As above’ will do, however try to include any extra duties that were asked to undertake or any achievements you had during the position.

CV Layout

Potential employers will generally focus on the top half of your CV, therefore ensure that key information is in this area so it is immediately evident to the reader.

• Name
• Address/location
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Photograph (not essential)

Personal Statement / Profile (5 – 10 lines long) Use this as a way to introduce yourself, provide an overview of your experience and your approach to childcare. This statement is an opportunity to sell yourself by expressing why you would suit the position, highlighting your relevant achievements or key area of experience.

Qualifications / Training (Most recent first)

Make sure to include:

• Qualification gained
• Dates you studied (month and year is fine)
• Name of the establishment or training provider

Career History (Most recent first)

Be honest!

Include all relevant jobs starting from the most recent one. When detailing your position try to ‘stand out from the crowd’ – think beyond ‘caring for children 0-2 years and nursery duties’ mention what skills you have and demonstrated and any accomplishments. Make sure there are no gaps in your work history – if you took time off to travel, start a family or to study it is important to include it or be prepared to explain it. Include;

• Dates – start and finish (month, year)
• Name of employer
• Details of the position, the children and your responsibilities.
• Location

Interests / Hobbies

Not essential but do include especially if any are relevant to childcare.

References

Your references will be checked!

You will need to provide references from previous employers where possible i.e. families that have employed you as a nanny, nurseries or a similar childcare establishment. If you are looking for your first job give details of those who have witnessed you working with children, college assessor, families you babysit for, a placement you attended whilst training. Where possible it is good to use referees that have known you for longer than 2 years and who are not friends or family members.