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You’ve just graduated and are looking for your first job. Or you’re looking to begin an entirely new career that you’ve been interested in for a while.
Either way, you’re going to need a CV. It’s the first thing your employers will see about you. So you need to STAND OUT.
*Stares at blank sheet*
Ok, but how do I start?
Here’s a helpful guide to get you going.
1. Length Is Important:
Don’t write more than two sheets of A4 paper.
On a survey done by Reed, results showed that 91% of recruiters consider two pages to be the perfect CV length.
It makes sense. Employers get hundreds of CVs a day. The last thing you want to do is put them to sleep with a lengthy CV…or make them not even want to look at it.
Of course, if you are just leaving university or college, you may not have enough experience to fill up two sheets of paper. That’s fine.
Keep it short and sweet.
2. Layout:
Your CV layout can make or break your job chances. You could have the best CV in the world but if the presentation isn’t right, it will let you down.
Employers spend only around 60–90 seconds reading (scanning) a CV. You have to make a good first impression.
First things first: Use bullet points.
This improves the readability of a CV. Use bullet points when listing your work experience, your skills, and interests.
Next, make sure to use a professional font (avoid Comic Sans), and keep the font black. You can’t go wrong with a black font.
Proofread your work before sending it off. Really scrutinize it. One tiny little error could ruin your chances.
Reading your CV out loud will help you pinpoint any awkward phrases.
3. Structure:
Start your CV with your personal and contact details. At the top of the CV, you should have your full name, your email, telephone number, and address.
You can then insert a small personal profile. Try to mention your strongest and most relevant skills here, as this is one of the areas employers pay the most attention to. Try to sell your best points in 2–3 sentences.
You can then go on to summarise your work history and experience. Always start with your most recent job and continue in reverse chronological order. If you have gaps in your work history, do give an explanation for this.
The next section is your educational history. List your qualifications, including the dates and the name of the institutions you attended.
The skills section comes next, usually followed by your hobbies list, and finally, your references.
In your references section, you can simply write ‘available on request’.
References are not usually required in the early recruitment process. If you are made an offer and you accept the role, THEN the employer will contact your references.
4. Match Your CV to The Role You’re Applying For:
Don’t send a generic CV to every role you apply for. Each job is going to require a different set of skills.
This doesn’t mean you will have to rewrite your entire CV every single time you apply for a position. A few adjustments will do the trick.
Ensure you read the job requirements properly and then try to match your skillset.
5. Highlight Your Skills:
This is a vital part of your CV. Your skills section shows your employer whether you have the ability to succeed in the role. Again, each job will require a different set of skills so make sure you take this into consideration.
What makes you stand out from the crowd? What is your unique selling point?
Make sure you are honest about your skills. The last thing you want is to start a new job and realise you’re not up to scratch.
Try and relate your skills to the job specification. It will give you clues on what the employer is looking for.
For example, if you are applying for a retail position, you may want to mention your problem-solving skills and your ability to work under pressure (but make sure to give examples from previous jobs where you have used these skills).
6. Your Interests Say a Lot About You:
Your interests section can help you stand out from the crowd. After all, recruiters work with people, not with robots.
To be clear: you don’t HAVE to include a hobbies section on your CV. It’s optional. If you think it can help your chance of getting the job, include it.
It can also be helpful if you don’t have much work experience to show off and are trying to show the recruiter a bit of your personality.
Think tactically. How can you use your hobbies to show you are well equipped for the job in question?
For example, if you’re part of a football team, this is a good indication you have good teamwork skills. Or if you’re looking for a creative career, you can mention your arts and crafts hobbies.
Top tip: Don’t lie or make up hobbies. If you pass to the interview stage, you could get caught out.
7. Keep Updating Your CV:
Get into the habit of regularly reviewing your CV. You never know when your next job opportunity is about to pop up.
Remove any outdated information and add in any new skills you develop along your career journey.
Also, refresh your contact information if necessary.
These 7 tips should give you a few ideas to get you started.
Good luck on your journey!
