10 tips for the perfect CV!

Getting a job in sports analysis can be very difficult. In order to get a job, you usually need to get an interview, and to get an interview, you will normally have to submit some form of CV.

Whilst running my business I have seen a lot of CVs and hired people for various roles including sales, software development, but most frequently sports analysis positions. We get sent CVs all the time. Even when we don’t have a job advertised, CVs get sent in. The sports analysis industry is very saturated and so standing out from the crowd is more important than ever.

Because of this, it amazes me how bad some CVs actually are and how many simple mistakes are made over and over again. Your CV could be your route to your dream job, so surely it makes sense to have a good one?

With that in mind, this article is made up of 10 points that you can implement when creating your CV. They consist of a mixture of layout, content and design ideas that will help to make your CV stand out from the hundreds of other CVs that are sent in for the same role that you want!

Okay, let’s get into it....

Point number one. The length of your CV. Longer does not mean better.

I’ve seen people debate whether a CV should be a single page. Personally, I don’t think it has to be. For me, one or two pages is fine, but I wouldn’t go any longer than that. If you think two pages isn’t enough, then you're probably waffling and including too much information. If you are clever with the layout, one page is often enough anyway which leads me on to the next point...

For number two, I am going to say, ‘be selective about what you are including’. If you are limiting your CV to one or two pages, you don’t want to waste half a page on pointless information.

Put the most information alongside the most relevant job. There is nothing wrong with working in Asda while you were at university, but you don't have to give me a huge paragraph about it. I don't need to know how you stacked the shelves or mopped the floor... it just isn't relevant. Go into more detail on the related experiences that you have.

Also, on this point, you don’t have to include every job you have had. If you’ve had a couple of industry related jobs or placements, then include them over your part time bar work. You get the point.

Number three. Personalise your CV. This also includes your cover letter if the application asks for one. You should be tailoring your application for each job. Look over the job spec and link it back to that. Show them why you are a good fit for them. Also, it goes without saying. Don’t send the same cover letter to each job. We have received loads of cover letters that say things like:

“And that is why I would be a great fit for your football team” OR

“If I got the opportunity to work at West Ham...”

Obviously, those guys applications weren't checked and just sent out in bulk. Rookie mistake.

Point number 4 covers the design or style of your CV. At the end of the day, you want your CV to stand out from the pile of others. Believe it or not, your CV won’t stand out if you use a bog-standard template from google. You know the type I mean...

Yeah... they're ok, but will it really grab the attention of someone looking through a big pile of CVs. Probably not.

If you are going for a job as an analyst, one thing you may have to do is present your analysis to the players and coaches in the form of presentations or reports. With that in mind, if you can show that you can design something that looks good and gets the important messages across, that can only be a positive.

With the layout in mind, don’t use huge paragraphs. Make things easy to read by using short sentences and bullet points.

The next thing on this point may be controversial but I will give you my opinion. Club logos. I’ve seen some really neat CVs which include a small logo of the club/organisation that the person worked at. In fact, I used to do this on my CV. I like this for two reasons. Firstly, it adds a bit of colour and breaks up all of the text... and secondly, people recognise logos. If I’m skimming through CVs and I see a certain club crest or university logo, I will take a closer look. This could be me recognising a well-regarded team, a team I used to work at, my old university, or a team that I have connections at.

Also, you don’t need to put a picture on your CV.

Number 5 is common sense, but you will be very surprised. Spell check your CV. Yes. It doesn't look very good sending a CV or cover letter in that has spelling mistakes. It is not that hard to run it through a spellchecker, but you can also ask someone else to read it over for you. A friend, if you have any, or a parent or other family member. Get them to read over it and ask them to point out any spelling or grammar that they think is wrong. Then fix it.

Ok, 5 down, 5 to go. If you are enjoying this article, you can actually watch it in video form on my YouTube channel (linked below). On the channel you will find other useful videos that will help you become more employable, learn from industry professionals and hopefully equip you for a career in sport. 

Ok, so number 6 is the thing where people grade their skill levels for certain tasks in some form of bar chart, graph or score yourself out of 5 or 10. This is stupid and literally means nothing.

Let’s say you rank your Microsoft Excel skills as a 78%. What does that even mean? If someone puts 85% on their CV does that mean they are better than you? It’s pointless.

I’d rather be told how you used excel to solve a problem in a previous job, not that you give yourself a made-up score.

On this point I would also include the overuse of buzzwords. Maybe I am being cynical but pretty much every candidate that applies for any job says that they are enthusiastic, a team player, a multi-tasker and detail oriented. Describe how you were these things, don’t just list things you think you want me to hear. It gets pretty boring.

Point number 7 is to include some example work. This can be done by including a short link or QR code on your CV that links to a YouTube video, google drive or Dropbox folder. If Covid did anything it saved the QR code. Any smartphone can scan one and within a couple of seconds, the person looking at your CV could be looking through an example report you have done or watching a video that you edited.

Yes, not everyone will view the link, but if they do, it puts you ahead of the competition that haven’t included anything. It’s a great way to show off your knowledge and give the recruiter an idea of what you may be capable of but also passionate about.

Number 8. If you have good references, include them. Yes, this may take up a little extra space but if you have credible people that will speak highly of you, why not include their information if they are ok with that?

Within sports analysis, most people know each other. If I don’t know an analyst at a particular club, I will know someone that does ... everyone knows everyone. Therefore, if I see someone’s name on a CV that I know, it makes it easy for me to give that person a quick call and get a reference for you.

Whether true or not, if you don’t include any references, or say ‘references available on request’ then it almost looks as though you are hiding something. If you made a good impression and worked hard at a club you interned at, ask that person if you can include them as a reference.

A good reference goes a long way. If I get a glowing reference from someone I trust, that holds a lot of weight.

Number 9. Be professional. Pretty obvious but you would be surprised. This covers a few things actually. Firstly, use a professional email address that includes your name. Don’t use the stupid one you set up when you were 11 years old.

Next, although I have said to design something nice, don’t go overboard. Not too much bright colours and make sure the colours that you use are easy to read. It needs to look smart and professional.

The next thing is such as easy one but one that often gets missed. The name that you give to your CV file is important. It should be something simple like “Your name - CV”. Don’t have things like ‘CV 2nd draft’ or ‘CV updated’. Include your name, that is very important.

Lastly on this point, you can give the CV a title. If you are a performance analyst, you can have your name at the top of your CV and include ‘performance analyst’. Or data scientist, or football coach etc.

Ok... finally, number 10. Again, pretty obvious but people do it. Don’t lie on your CV. Honestly, it is not worth it. This point covers a few things actually, all of which will should not be done. The first is to straight up lie about being at a particular job. Don’t be stupid. You will get found out. The next would be to lie about things you did at a job, and the responsibilities you had. You can bet when I call up a reference or someone, I know that works there, they will tell me what really went down, and then you just look daft.

Finally, as it’s linked, I want to also mention another annoyance of mine. Fluffing up job titles. It’s always a funny one and I really don’t know why people feel the need to do it. For example, if you are volunteering at a non-league club doing some opposition analysis, just tell me that. Don’t tell me you were ‘head of domestic tactical analysis and pre-match planning’...

Anyway, good luck in your CV writing and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

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