Your CV (curriculam vitae) or resume is the first impression that employers get before they make a decision about who to interview. Even if you are more qualified or skilled than the person they select, you won’t stand a chance if they don’t get the right feel from your CV in the first five to ten seconds of reading it. Today I was asked to review someone’s CV and whilst I was doing it, I wrote down a few bullet points to share with you:
- Add a written profile: Start with a few bullet points or catchy sentences tailored to the job you are going for.
- Use bullet points: Use bullet points to list key skills and cut out the long descriptions on career history. These key points will be easy on the interviewer’s eye.
- How you can help them: Make sure they see that you are the right person for the job. Link what you have done to how this can help the employer.
- Create multiple CVs: Don’t just have one CV; every job that you apply for will be different. Use varying covering letters and CVs.
- The order is important: Remember to include the most important and relevant skills first.
- Keep it relevant: Leave out what isn’t relevant e.g. jobs that you did 20 years ago or a personal story – no one wants to know your life story, just how you can help the company.
- Include key words: Use key words from the job description (if you have a job to apply for) or from a relevant job advert.
- Don’t lie: make sure you have actually done the things you include in your CV.
- Keep it simple: Don’t use big, complicated words that no one will understand.
- Spell it out: Explain all acronyms and abbreviations even if they are obvious to you.
- Length of CV: Make the CV short and concise – length one to two pages (maximum).
- Catchy titles: Make your titles and headings relevant – as in blogs, it’s usually the title that catches someone’s eye.
- Font & size: Research suggests that Ariel or Times New Roman are acceptable fonts. Size of characters should be 11 or 12 (maximum).
- Always review: Get someone else to read your CV once you are happy with it, or go back to it after a day or so. You’ll be surprised at how many silly mistakes can be missed when you have been looking at it for so long.
These are just a few things that might help – there are so many other tips out there (including the related articles that I have found below). Remember, even making a few slight changes to your CV might secure you that interview. Good luck!
Related web articles (including links)
Daily Writing Tips: 44 Resume Writing Tips
Direct Gov: CVs and Covering Letters
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Until tomorrow…
Sandra
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Posted by exemple cv | February 3, 2012, 11:36 am