CV Writing Help for Cleaners

Despite just exiting a period of economic recession, Britain is a country in need of more cleaners. Whether you're aiming to work in a domestic property, for an agency, or a company, you're going to need a cleaning CV that shines. While cleaners are in demand, competition remains fierce in some areas. Fortunately, these CV writing tips for cleaners can make the process smoother.

Writing a Cleaner's Personal Summary

When a cleaner writes his or her personal summary, there is a significant risk that they will make it more generic. Many of the qualities a cleaner possesses can easily apply to other working environments. Being prompt, for example, is essential, yet you need to do this in every workplace. If you so wish, you can detail any cleaning experience you have so far. Try to keep this section to a succinct paragraph. Many employers will throw away your CV if they aren't impressed by your personal summary, so clarity is key.

Detailing Your Educational Background as a Cleaner

Don't make the mistake of omitting your educational background when you're writing a cleaning CV. Depending on the employer you work for, your academic achievements are incredibly important. Even the completion of GCSEs says something about your cleaning ability, as it indicates you are able to see a project through to the end. Closely following your educational gains, you need to insert what you have knowledge of. If you hold a cleaning certificate of some form, simply listing it isn't enough for many employers.

Writing About Your Employment History as a Cleaner

Understandably, not everyone who goes into cleaning will have an employment history. Don't worry; you'll see how to tackle this in a moment. Whether your background is in cleaning or not, you can work your employment history to your advantage. Doing this means taking the transferable skills you have gained elsewhere, be it through working or volunteering, and applying them to your CV. Naturally, some jobs aren't quite as close to cleaning as retail work and working in a bar. However, if you have a good hard think, you can find those parallels and inject them into your CV. If you have worked as a cleaner before, play every opportunity to your advantage. Briefly list what your duties were at each place, what your role was within a team, and any training you received. If you haven't yet had a job, don't worry. Instead, you can discuss the cleaning skills you have gained while studying, or while taking a break from work. At the same time, if you're struggling to find employment, you may want to consider seeking out a voluntary role. As discussed earlier, it is possible to transfer skills between positions when you consider your previous roles carefully.

What Else Should You Include on a Cleaner's CV?

Now that the hard part is over, you need to inject a little character into your CV. Whether or not you need to focus on your hobbies and personal interests is negligible, however, many employers do seem to prefer seeing these little unique pieces of information. When including hobbies and interests, resist the urge to be too generic. What does something like 'walking' really tell an employer about you as a person? Not much. However, talking about how you love to read and lead your local reading group in a discussion each week shows that you are an excellent team leader. Finally, you need to include your references. Many people prefer to include the line 'References available upon request'. Unless your referee is willing to have someone contact them at the drop of a hat, it is a good idea to do this and then agree your references at a later point. Don't have any referees? Don't worry. You can always refer to academic staff or upstanding members of the community who know you instead.