When deciding how to write and layout your CV there are infinite ways in which you can do it; the truth is there is no right answer.
That said, there are a few general rules you should be following in order to make sure you aren’t falling outside of an employer’s expectations.
Begin with the Best
Humans are easily distracted.
Don’t leave your application up to chance by assuming people will read on. Beginning your CV with a short summary of your experience, skills and personal details will give you a much better chance of capturing the employer’s attention right from the start.
Passionate about passionate passion
Getting stuck in the buzzword-mud is always a risk when trying to demonstrate that you have a deep understanding or care about something:
E.g ‘I am passionate about building client networks that have a passion for their industries and a passion for their customers’.
It’s not that using such words should be considered a faux pas. It is more that you should be looking to deliver control and substance with your words, not diluting them with clumsy repetition. Just like any message or advert, the more you hear, read or see of something, the less affected you are by it. You want to be sustaining the interest of the reader throughout your CV, and using overly-repetitive language will only hinder your ability to do so.
Concise Content
It’s a cliché, but applying the ‘less is more’ rule to your CV could prove the difference between obtaining an interview and your CV going straight in the bin.
Ultimately, you have to be disciplined with your CV - your part-time supermarket work as a 15 year-old isn’t relevant when you’ve got other outstanding experience later in life.
Whilst the natural tendency is always to try and sell every last aspect of yourself and your working history, you need to remember that employers don’t have the time to flick through a 45 page, dossier-like CV!
The key is to have confidence in your abilities and experience. Two pages of great content will always prove more successful than four pages made up of relevant, but also irrelevant content. Over-saturating your CV is distracting for an employer, which is the last thing you want.
Be concise, be clear, be credible.
One Direction…
There’s no point wasting precious words describing skills or job responsibilities that don’t relate to the job you would potentially fill.
So if the role you are applying for relates to one particular part of a previous remit you’ve fulfilled, make sure you focus that particular job section towards that aspect.
Remember, the key when writing your CV is to make sure that each sentence and paragraph adds to your overall aim: convincing someone that you can carry out a particular job role with excellence.
Gearing your CV towards the role you’re applying for could therefore prove vital in advancing your application.
Once more, having a sense of discipline over what you do and don’t include in your CV is of the utmost importance.
Make a Change
If you want further consultation regarding your CV, feel free to contact us directly for totally free advice from industry experts on: 01442 299000.
Alternatively, if you feel happy with your CV, why not register it with us now to grow your chances of obtaining your next outstanding role?
