This informal CPD article on Writing a Winning CV for the Real Estate Industry was provided by Veronica Bateman at Bayfield Training, a training company providing a wide range of Financial Modelling and Real Estate Strategy courses for the Global Real Estate Profession.
Writing a Winning CV for the Real Estate Industry
When entering a new area in the real estate sector and once decided on which role is ideal for you, your CV must be tailored for the job you’re applying for. To write a winning CV, you must approach it from a hiring manager’s perspective. This summary article will explain how best to do this to maximise your chances of securing the job you aspire to have.
A CV is arguably the most important part of applying for a job. Perfecting your CV is the epitome of valuing “first impressions count”. What you include will advertise you to the people who are hiring and it’s extremely important to write your CV to the best of your ability, to sell your skills, experience and personality and prove you are the best candidate for the job. Typically, the company is hiring because they need help with their workload. So, your task is to communicate your key skills that promote the fact that you can help with this.
The six sections to a successful CV
A CV’s format is very important. It must have clearly separated sections, and key points, such as titles, should be in bold to draw attention. Another way to make important parts stand out is by using bullet points. You should use a clear and simple font of approximately size 12, and your language should be mature, yet not overly complex. You should aim for the length of your CV to be approximately 2 A4 pages, as the hiring manager will not have the time to read more than this, and they may lose interest and discard some of your best selling points.
The key to writing your CV is to keep in mind the company you’re applying for a job within, and the position you are applying for. It is crucial to tailor your CV per application, to make sure the most relevant information is clear, and the relevance of information may change per application.
1. Name & Contact details
At the beginning of your CV, you should include your personal and contact details e.g. name, email, telephone number.
2. Profile
Write a concise profile about you, approximately 5 bullet points worth. Appropriate things to include in this are your key skills, your main experiences and any hobbies that could be relevant or create an outstanding impression. This section should give a very brief, factual overview as to who you are.
3. Work Experience
This section of your CV should be dedicated to your previous work experience. Include the dates of your employments and highlight the job title in bold to make it clear what your role was, and who you worked for. You should outline, potentially in bullet points, your key responsibilities and achievements whilst in the position. You should list your work experience in reverse chronological order, including the most detail in the descriptions of the most recent, or most relevant past positions. If a previous role was particularly relevant to the job you’re applying for, you could list it at the top to stand out. To tailor your CV specifically for a job in the real estate industry, you must prioritise the any work experience in the real estate sector. Include any internships you have done and try to demonstrate entrepreneurship and self-management skills. Also advertise your in-demand skills, especially any data analyst skills e.g. Python. You can also include a track record document i.e. a detailed list of transactions you’ve worked on in your past jobs.
4. Education
You must then have a section detailing your education. Begin with your highest qualification and then list in reverse chronological order. For each, list your qualification, the institution it was achieved at, and the dates you were studying there to acquire this qualification. With a degree, it can be useful to list your thesis title if relevant to the application, as it can set you apart from others and be a topic of discussion, should you get to interview.
5. Skills and Interest
You should have a section on your key skills. This will include any of your advanced skills, and ideally how you’ve gained them, e.g. IT skills, special licenses, languages. Your skills and interests section should include any strong interests you have, especially if they are relevant or prove attractive qualities. Include any exams you have taken, or awards won, and give information on any certifications you’ve achieved. You could combine or separate this from a section on your hobbies/key interests, depending on how relevant or substantial they are.
6. References
At the end of your CV, include references from past positions, if you are required to by the job application. If it’s not stated that references must be provided, include a line explaining that you have references available upon request. Before including this, ensure your referees are aware and willing to give a reference if asked.
Once you have written your CV, it is extremely important to proofread and spell-check your writing, as any mistakes in grammar will leave a very bad impression.
In the UK, images are not recommended nor standard practice on a CV, but they may be used if they help to highlight certain aspects of your CV. Extra information such as marital status, children etcetera is unnecessary, irrelevant and heightens the potential for discrimination. If you have a relevant, active, professional LinkedIn, it can be included, but you must make sure the information on your page is consistent with your CV – for example the dates of your work experience.
In conclusion, if you follow these guidelines to writing a winning CV for the real estate industry in particular, you should stun the hiring managers and be on track for an interview for the job you want.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Bayfield Training please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
