There are very choppy waters out there and best to be organised.
The CV is often said to be your shop window. It is also your attempt at a self-portrait. For those looking at a planned or unplanned career move, now is the perfect time and as we slowly move towards greater easing of the lockdown, to perhaps revisit your CV. Prior planning, preparation and so forth. So many CVs are C-B grade when they could easily be A*.
Here are some general CV tips which will hopefully help as you confront your easel, ready to grasp your inner Van Gogh or Frida Kahlo
- Avoid writing in the 1st person.
- Try not to spend vast amounts of time on a header paragraph describing to yourself how great you are. Yes, self-affirmation is a powerful tool but with regards to this part of a CV, it is sometimes best to let others judge some of your greatness.
- Your covering letter email or application form can include your interest in the role, motivation and the likes.
- Do try and get your job history dates correct and show both months and years. Any lengthy career gaps, then explain. Get your dates horribly wrong, then standby for onboarding fun and games further down the line. Make sure your LinkedIn profile reflects this consistency.
- Clearly show your job title and corporate level. Do not embellish or re-define. Keep what it says on your Contract for that role and if it needs further narrative, include below it. If you were a contractor, then say so. Again, do not delay an onboarding process with mis-matched job titles being discovered. Make it easy for those doing the checks and you will start sooner.
- If you did not complete your degree or attended a short non-degree course, then make this clear.
- Bullet points should be used. Keep them short, sharp and punchy. Ideally not more than a couple of lines.
- Do not waste valuable page room with excessive spacing or unnecessarily large font at the top of your CV, especially when it comes to your name and contact details. There is no need to write CV at the top of the page!
- Keywords and buzz words are particularly important for when your CV is reviewed first sift by an algorithm and which often follows an online application. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or ‘CV robots’ are widely used. ATS dislike bluff words.
- Whilst being mindful of, do not just copy an earlier job description in your CV for a past role or indeed match too closely, or clumsily, your CV to the job description of the new role being explored. There is a balance to be had.
- Budgets, P&L, headcount responsibility, jurisdictional exposure; if its tangible and measurable then get it all down.
- Normally best to keep the layout fairly straightforward and to use a neat, easy on the eye, consistent and crisp font. Maybe avoid surrealism in the CV layout unless that is the movement you are targeting. That said and as appropriate, why not show your creative flair if in a creative sector.
- Remember that a CV is best viewed as an inverted pyramid. Include more info about your most recent roles and cut back what you write for earlier roles. NB do make sure earlier roles do not read as if your current role.
- Putting it out there; aim for no more than two sides of A4 (one side is fine if your career is at early stages). Three at an absolute stretch…. any more than that then get chopping those words. If needed, consider an appendix for additional detail.
- Brevity is crucial when persuading.
- When your CV is sitting in a pile for a human to review, put yourself into the reviewer’s shoes and think about how little time they may spend on first read through. This is more likely to be measured in seconds rather than minutes and yes, after all the hours you have put into it.
- Consider a few CV versions which are say role or sector specific; just do not get them muddled up. Before submitting, have each CV version saved with a clear file name for your own records.
When painting any future masterpiece, you always need to be prepared to step away and then come back to it. Your CV is like a self-portrait showing how you want others to see your achievements and career history. As such and as with any creative output, you will have some days when you want to do something else and you should do precisely that. Step away and come back to it.
When you think your CV is complete, get someone to review a hard copy and make sure they have a red pen to hand. Take their constructive criticism onboard and have another bash in front of your easel.
When all is done and the paint has dried, take a step back and then maybe say to yourself with a hint of Ron Burgundy “Hey everyone, come and see how good I look”.
You need your CV to spark interest, get that 1st interview in the diary and then the floor is yours. First impressions always count.
Good luck with it and hope some of this helps.
