As a human resources (HR) officer, you will be responsible for finding, screening, recruiting, training and supporting the best applicants to meet the organisation’s business objectives. Your key responsibilities will include recruiting new staff, writing job descriptions, managing the application process, negotiating employment contracts, organising staff training, monitoring staff performance, dealing with staff enquiries and implementing the organisation’s employment policies and procedures.
Competition is high for this position so you will need to have a strong human resources (HR) officer CV to impress the employer and secure a job interview invitation for this role. To help you achieve this goal, we have produced this useful guide full of information, tips and guidelines to help you write your perfect CV and secure this highly sought-after job.
I am a highly organised, dedicated and diplomatic Human Resources Officer, with a proven ability to improve working environments and a commitment to employee welfare. Sensitive to employee concerns, I possess strong interpersonal skills, demonstrating the utmost discretion and integrity when dealing with confidential information. I am also proficient in business, reflected in familiarity with payroll systems and employment law.
Achievements
First class degree in Human Resources Management from Kingston University
Over four year’s practical experience working in Human Resources
Numerous vocational qualifications in personnel management
Education
2011 – 2014
BSc Human Resources Management
Kingston University
Grade achieved: 1:1
Relevant Modules:
Organisational Behaviour (77%)
Employment Law (76%)
Professional Development (74%)
Work Ethics in the Workplace (70%
Strategic Management (69%)
Individual Project (72%)
2009 – 2011 Results: Sociology: A Citizenship: B English: B
A Levels
Manchester College
2002 – 2009 Results: 11 GCSEs at Grades A*-C
GCSEs
Manchester Academy
Work experience
Mar 2015 – Present
Human Resources Officer PGR industries
Main duties performed:
Acting as the first point of contact for any Human Resources issues
Provide advice and guidance to managers about HR-related issues
Consulting with a range of the organisation’s departments to implement the company policy and HR processes
Participating in meetings, investigations and consultations
Providing support to all employees on ‘long-term sick’ or with challenging medical issues and organising their duties appropriately (amending duties, return to work, etc)
Checking Passports / ID Cards to validate a candidate’s right to work in the UK
Checking Certificates for authentication purposes
Conducting CRB and driver licence checks
Recruiting, short-listing, interviewing and training new staff members
Writing contracts of employment and sending out offers of employment
Updating, maintaining and auditing of personal data for all the employees
Organising training and development workshops for new and existing staff
Dealing with general HR issues such as annual leave, bereavement, maternity, paternity, flexible working requests, timesheets, etc. on a daily basis
Implementing disciplinary action (when necessary)
Managing payroll systems and advising staff on remuneration packages
Developing and administering HR strategies to improve working environments
Encouraging diversity and promoting equal opportunities in the workplace
Implementing employment law and workplace regulations
Taking notes during meetings and writing minutes of the meeting afterwards
Sept 2014 – Feb 2015
HR Assistant Kingston University
Main duties performed:
Assisting in the administration of company policy and HR procedures
Dealing with employee grievances, reporting complaints to senior managers
Producing handbooks and employment information booklets
Drafting job adverts, creating job descriptions and personal specifications and reviewing job applications (CV, cover letter and application form) for short-listing suitable candidates
General Admin duties; regularly making and answering phone calls, sending out emails to staff, taking minutes, printing, photocopying, filing, etc.
Qualifications
Level 3 in Employment Law – NCFE
Business Driven HR (2 days) – CIPD
Developing an Employee Engagement Strategy (1 day) – CIPD
Skills
Advanced interpersonal skills, demonstrated in the ability to develop strong working relationships with colleagues and company employees
Proficient in Microsoft Office and Kronos Workforce Central HR Software
In-depth knowledge of employment law and workplace regulations
Professional and confident with excellent diplomacy and negotiation skills
Excellent communication skills with an ability to liaise effectively with a range of departments to effectively implement company policies
Hobbies and interests
In my spare time, I enjoy amateur baking, and I regularly attend a number of food festivals with my friends. I also take dancing classes twice a week as part of an active lifestyle, and I enjoy meeting new people from all backgrounds.
Adopt a standard CV structure: Studies have shown that employers only tend to look at CVs for around 30 seconds. Unconventional CV structures catch employers off guard and make it harder for them to find the information that they need. Not a very good first impression you want to give!
Remove irrelevant or unnecessary information: Removing unnecessary information from your CV will improve its impact and free up valuable space for more important information. Don’t include your age, date of birth, gender, marital status, photograph, national insurance number, salary expectations or nationality. Also, consider omitting outdated or irrelevant part-time jobs and low-level training qualifications if appropriate.
Improve the scannability of your CV: Under normal conditions, humans tend to scan things rather than read things in great detail. Employers are no different. To improve the scannability (and legibility) of your CV, you should use short sentences, bullet points, subheadings, appropriate spacing and a professional font. These things will improve the presentation of your CV and ensure that the employer can find the information that they seek at a glance.
Correct any formatting mistakes: Double-check your CV for formatting issues such as inconsistent fonts, font sizes, margins, spacing, bullet points, etc. For example, it will look bad if the font size of one subheading is 12pt but of another 14pt, or if the line spacing after one paragraph is 6pt and after another it’s 10pt. These things may seem trivial and unimportant but employers highly value attention to detail, and a consistent format of your CV is proof that you are a perfectionist with a keen eye for detail.
At the top of your CV, start with your personal details such as your name, address, telephone number and email address. It’s optional to include a link to your LinkedIn profile (if you have one). As previously mentioned, don’t include any irrelevant information such as your date of birth, age or gender.
Following your personal details, you now need to write an impressive personal profile statement which will serve as an introduction to your CV. A personal profile tells the employer about your personal qualities, abilities and previous work experience.
Guidelines:
Tailor your profile to the needs of the employer and the job specification.
Back up your statements with facts, figures and examples.
I am a methodical, friendly and hardworking human resources officer with more than 2 years of experience working in various roles in the HR department. I started my career as an HR assistant and was promoted after nine months on the job. I am familiar with various HR Management Systems (HRMS) and HR Information Systems (HRIS). My expertise is in recruiting new talent, organising events and supporting the smooth running of the human resources department.
It’s time to show the employer what you are made of with a list of your key achievements from your studies, work or life in general.
Examples of achievements to include on your CV:
Awards received
Good grades
Promotions
Relevant work experience
Elected for a leadership position
Identified a problem and solved it
Completed a marathon
Organised an event
Completed projects on time and within budget
Example:
Over two years of work experience in the HR and recruitment industry
Elected project manager on multiple occasions
Designed and implemented various HR-related initiatives
Employment and work experience
Next, write details of your previous or current employment and work experience.
Some of the things to include in this section:
Full-time jobs
Part-time jobs
Unpaid/voluntary positions
Internships
Professional work placements
May 2021 – Present
HR Officer The University of Birmingham
Main duties and responsibilities performed:
Assisted other HR with the day-to-day running of the HR department
Managed the complete recruitment process of new employees
Advised staff on pay, benefits and their rights and responsibilities
Implemented the organisation’s HR policies and procedures
Drafted and negotiated employment contracts
Maintained and updated the HR database
Conducted meetings with applicants and employees
Orderly maintained personnel files and filing systems
Monitored staff performance and produced reports
Organised training sessions
Performed general admin duties
Note: If you don’t have any relevant work experience, it is recommended for you to take up an unpaid/voluntary job, preferably in the HR department of an organisation. Volunteering will give you the vital work experience that employers value, teach you new skills, expand your professional network and boost your confidence.
Responsible for recruiting, training and supporting staff.
Manage the recruitment process, including writing job descriptions, producing job adverts, writing contracts, organising interviews and hiring new talent.
Provide HR advice to employees related to contractual issues, pay, benefits, redundancies and job responsibilities.
Assist with the development and implementation of the organisation’s HR strategy and associated HR policies.
Assist with HR administration, including filing, photocopying, answering phone calls and responding to emails.
Education and training
The education and training section of your CV contains details of your formal educational and professional training background.
Some of the things you can list in this section:
Undergraduate and postgraduate degrees
A-Levels and BTECs
GCSEs or equivalent
Short courses
Professional training and qualifications
Guidelines:
Expand on each qualification by mentioning the subjects studied and grades achievements. This will give the employer a better idea of what you studied and how that will help you in your future job.
Omit old or insignificant qualifications if you have a strong educational background, for example, level 1 qualifications if you are a university graduate.
Example:
2016-2019
BA Human Resource Management
University of London
Degree classification: 2:1.
Relevant Modules:
Introduction to Human Resource Management
Behaviour in Organisations
Recruitment and Selection Strategies
Employment Law in Context
Employee Retention and Engagement
2014 – 2016 Results: 7 Business (A), English (B) and Maths (B).
A-Levels
Northfield Academy
Qualifications
The qualifications section of your CV should contain a list of additional qualifications such as professional training qualifications.
Example:
Level 2 Certificate in HR & Employment Law – Course Gate
LEvel 1 Basics of Human Resource Management – Oxford Home Study Centre
Skills
In this section, you should list down some of your key skills and abilities that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
How to tailor your skills to the requirements of the job:
Look at the job specification and identified the skills that are required for the job.
Determine which of these skills you possess and mention them on your CV alongside real-life examples of where you demonstrated these skills.
Example:
Excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrated in my ability to work with a variety of people including applicants, employees and managers.
Strong IT skills, demonstrated in using a variety of IT systems including Microsoft Office and the department’s HR information management systems.
Excellent organisation skills, demonstrated in my ability to manage complex filing systems, databases and information systems.
Tip: One of the key features of an HR officer’s job is to manage a lot of data, records, information, forms, documents and computer systems. You should emphasise on your CV your administrative and organisational skills to demonstrate that you have what it takes to be a successful HR officer.
Hobbies and interests (optional)
Research has shown that adding personal hobbies to your CV can strengthen your job application and improve your chances of being invited for a job interview.
Examples of hobbies and interests include:
Participating in sports
Campaigning and organising events for charity
Playing games and solving puzzles
Reading and writing
Mentoring and coaching
Painting, drawing and sketching
Exercising (going to the gym, jogging, etc.)
Attending social or business events
Guidelines:
Only include hobbies and interests that are relevant to the job and add value to your CV.
Don’t mention more than 3-4 hobbies.
Example:
In my free time, I enjoy watching documentaries on TV and reading non-fiction books. I also enjoy going to the gym with my friends and participating in fundraising events for charity.
References
The last section of your CV is the references section.
Here you need to give the details of your references, people who know you well and can vouch for your skills, abilities and character to the employer.
Guidelines:
Write “References are available upon request” If you do not wish to disclose your references on your CV.
Always ask permission before using someone as a reference; it will prevent an awkward conversation from taking place between the employer and your reference if they weren’t expecting a phone call!
For each reference, include their full name, job title, organisation name, address, telephone number and email address.
Example:
Ms Claire Douglas HR Manager, Kent Council Address: 5 Newton Road, Kent, K34 2MF Tel: 07663574722 Email:[email protected]
Mr Tom Wilson Senior HR Officer, Tesco Address: 55 Apple Rd, London, L43 2MD Tel: 0787435685777 Email:[email protected]
Focus on your skills and abilities: To do your job well as human resources officer, you will need to have certain skills, abilities and competencies. Employers are mainly interested in knowing whether you can do the job well or not. Essential skills for this role include interpersonal, IT, copywriting and research skills. Give real-life examples where you have used/developed the skills and competencies that are required for the role.
Write a compelling personal profile: Your personal profile statement is a very important part of your CV. Studies have shown that employers tend to briefly scan a CV and then go back to the top of the CV to read the personal profile in more detail. Therefore, spend some extra time writing, checking and improving your personal profile to improve the impact of your CV.
Send a cover letter with your CV: With each application, write a short, tailored cover letter to accompany your human resources (HR) officer CV. A cover letter is a short letter that informs the employer about the reason for your application and why they would be the most suited candidate for the advertised role. It is your perfect opportunity to make a good first impression and explain how your skills and experience match the requirements of the job.
Keep your CV under two pages: As a general rule of thumb, the length of your CV should not exceed two A4 pages. Employers prefer short CVs because they are easier to scan/read and contain only the most important information about the candidate. Remove any irrelevant, outdated or unimportant information.
You’ve now reached the end of this guide.
If you have followed all the guidelines and tips in this guide, you should now have an impressive Human resources (HR) officer CV that will get you job interviews in no time.
Good luck with your job hunt!
Written by Sobhan Mohmand Sobhan is a qualified Careers Advisor and Professional CV Writer with over 10 years of experience in helping job seekers get a job. He is a Member of the Careers Development Institute (CDI) and is listed on the official UK Register of Career Development Professionals. He holds a Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development (QCF).
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