When it comes to looking for a new job, your CV is going to be one of the most vital elements in your arsenal. Along with your cover letter, it’s the first impression you’re going to make to hiring managers and it will be a deciding factor in whether or not you get an interview.
What does your CV say about you? It’s an important question as the CV is a reflection of you to a potential employer. It’s the mirror of the recruitment world and it’s often overlooked.
That means you’ll want to make you CV the best it can be, show off your skills and experience and help you stand out from the crowd. Luckily, our team of experts at RECRUITERS has put together this handy guide to help you tailor the perfect CV for your next job application.
Before we get into it, we want to stress the importance of a strong CV template. A good CV template is often the difference between you getting an interview and the job. Since 2006, we've seen every CV template and builder there is and Resume.io consistently ranks as our top CV builder every year. They've helped over 10 million job seekers build interview-worthy CVs that get people hired faster. They offer our community:
As you develop your skills and experience and you’re applying for specific roles – it is important to write a tailored CV, specific to that target role – this also feeds into your interview preparation.
It can be tempting to write your CV once, detailing all your experience and thinking that will do for all jobs, but this is a big pitfall to avoid. After all, every role is different and will require different skills in different proportions. How you present your skills should change with each job application.
When starting to write your CV, simply ask yourself “what are the skills and qualities that the hiring manager is looking for” and “how can I demonstrate that on paper”. Remember, the main objective of your CV is to get an interview for that specific job, so adapt this mindset before sitting down to create or edit your CV.
Before you write your CV there are several things that you can do to give yourself the leading advantage over other applicants.
How your CV is formatted is almost as important as the content itself. The cleaner looking the CV and the easier it is to read will tell a lot about how someone presents themselves. In a world where we are doing a lot of presentations to clients, customers, board members and staff, presentation skills are really important and so is your CV. So, here are a few things to bear in mind about CV format.
Don’t have large blocks of text. Well-formatted CVs that are broken in to appropriate clear sections (statement, education, experience, interests/achievements) with headings are much easier to read and stand out more. Use bullet points to make it easy to read.
Anything that’s particularly stylised is generally distracting. If it’s a creative role you’re applying for, then exceptions can be made. But even then, it’s probably useful to have a normal, straightforward version of your CV and then a separate portfolio displaying your creative flair and work.
Ensure your CV is chronologically correct, consistent of font style and of size. It can’t be overstated that these aspects make or break a CV. We see them every single day from senior leaders through to entry-level executives. Don’t let yourself down by a small layout issue corrupting the overall presentation or sense of your background.
Usually, this is because the hiring manager doesn’t think the person has the ability or relevant skills to do the job.
To counteract this in your CV, develop confidence in the reader in your abilities to do the job by giving relevant targeted examples to demonstrate that you have those particular skills/qualities.
Spelling mistakes in your CV say, “Lack of attention to detail”, “No personal pride in their work” and “Rushed” to a hiring manager. This can be fatal and destroy any chances you have of getting a first interview. With a spell checker as standard on most software programmes there really is no excuse for mistakes here.
If you don’t try to shorten your CV, the hiring manager might think, “Has not tailored their experience to what we are looking for”, “Too long did not read” or “Not strong summary or analysis skills”.
What you did 10 years ago is not going to be as relevant as what you are doing most recently. Some clients are even rejecting CVs that are more than two pages long, and that’s including personal details. The shorter the CV, the more time you will need to spend in tailoring your experience to what the employer is looking for. This is a good exercise.
What you did/do on a daily basis is almost a given depending on your job title. What you achieved? That’s a snapshot to who you are. Talk about how great you are. Now is not the time for modesty.
Do not under any circumstances lie on your CV. In the age of technology that we live in, it will come back to bite you.
Example of non-truths on a CV include qualifications/education that is incomplete or elevated job titles as well as certain technical skills that you claim to have but don’t really.
To be as transparent as possible about your skills, consider including a level of proficiency alongside your listed skills. An example of this is:
If you’re CV is tailored well, you may not need to worry too much about a cover letter. However, many companies require a cover letter, so make sure, like the CV, it is relevant and specific to what they are looking for.
Always go back to the question “what are the skills and qualities that the hiring manager is looking for” and “how can I demonstrate that on paper”.
When writing your cover letter, follow our cover letter dos and dont's to ensure it complements your CV and helps you to stand out even more.
Your CV is the first impression you get to make with a future employer. It’s not a ‘one size fits all’, it’s not an afterthought, it’s your only chance to make a good first impression. Be concise, make it relevant and grab the reader’s attention.
Also, remember that skills are transferrable. Everyone starts off with little or no work experience so bring in transferrable skills/qualities from your own unique life experience. Don’t forget to check out our free CV templates to help you get started and then check out our guide to everything you need to know about your CV.
Writing photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash
