The New Year may provide the impetus
to look for a new job, but is your CV
good enough? A poll of 1,000 recruiters, found it takes 34 seconds for
an employer to decide whether a CV is worth further consideration. Lies and
typos are all reasons people are not offered an interview. So how do you craft
the perfect CV?
1. Length
:
'How long
should my CV be?' is a common question It largely depends on how much
experience and extra-curricular activity you’ve done. My general rule is a
concise one page CV for first
and second year students and no more than two pages for third and fourth years.
If yours is significantly longer than this, think critically about what’s
relevant and make sure each point you make is concise.
2. Pay attention to detail:
It’s hard to be positive about yourself because we tend to be
quite humble, and it’s hard to read CV as if you’re seeing it for the first time.
Show it to someone you trust – ideally, someone who has worked with you – and
ask for feedback.
3.
Keep it short:
Be concise and don’t be afraid to delete experience if it’s not
relevant to that role. People talk about the traditional two-page limit, but it
depends on the sector and the seniority you’re going for but, broadly speaking,
if you can keep it to two pages, the recruiter will be delighted.
4. Don’t overuse 'I':
A CV should be written in the first person, but that doesn’t
mean you need to use ‘I’ all of the time. When you’re using bullet points, you
don’t need to start each one with something like ‘I did…’. However, make sure
each point is grammatically correct and in a full sentences still.
5.
Clear sections:
Your CV should be easy to navigate, so if an assessor just wants
to look at just your experience, they can find it in one glance – remember most
assessors look at a CV for a matter of seconds. They are likely to get
frustrated if there isn’t a clear order and structure to yours.
6.
Make it look
good:
We live in a world where image is everything, and that also goes
for your CV. Take some time to pretty it up… Use bullet points and keep
sentences short. Use the graphic design trick of leaving plenty of white space
around text and between categories to make the layout easy on the eye.
Alternatively, get creative with your job application.
7. Make
it keyword friendly:
If you’ve
uploaded your CV to a job site
so recruiters can find you, keywords are very important. Job titles and job
buzzwords will help a search engine pick out your CV from the pile. Confused?
Don’t be. A marketing candidate might mention SEO (Search Engine Optimization),
direct marketing and digital marketing among their experience and skills, for
example… If you’re not sure, have a search online and see what words are
commonly mentioned when you input your job title.
8. Keep
it current :
You should
keep your CV up-to-date whether you’re looking for a job or not. Every time
something significant occurs in your career, record it so you don’t later
forget something that could be important.
9. Be
accurate:
Recruiters
will judge you on mistakes, either in structure or in spelling or punctuation. Use
auto-correct, but also get other people to check for errors.
10. Don’t
leave gaps:
We are a
cynical bunch and leaving obvious gaps on your CV immediately makes employers
suspicious and they won’t give you the benefit of the doubt. If you’ve been out
of work it can be a worry but just put a positive spin on it.
Conclusion
of blog:
Keep in mind
that, while there is no such thing as a perfect CV, you can use this guide to
create an effective CV that avoids common problems and pitfalls. As you
progress in your job search, remember that your CV is a living document. You
can make revisions based on any feedback you receive, but try to avoid losing
valuable time trying to over-optimize. Focus on your skills and experience,
present yourself in the best light possible, and get ready to land that next
role!
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