EVERYONE KNOWS JUST HOW DAUNTING IT CAN BE TO WRITE A CV, LET ALONE A STAND - OUT CV....SO HERE ARE SOME USEFUL TIPS STRAIGHT FROM AGE121.. BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET IT RIGHT :)
Making Your CV Stand Out
Your
curriculum vitae, or CV, is a vital part of your professional career search. Professional recruitment services like AGE121 know that a CV can make or break an employer’s consideration.
What Your CV Needs
There is room in every CV for customization. In fact, you’ll want to customize your CV a bit to make it stand out. All CVs, though, need these basic elements to work effectively, generally in this exact order.
· Your Contact Information – This includes your name, obviously, but also your phone number, email address, and mailing address. One of the biggest mistakes CV writers often make is forgetting to add contact information. If an employer can’t contact you, then they can’t hire you.
· An Opening Statement – This is a statement of who you are, your goals, and your strengths. It should summarize what makes you a great candidate. It should also remain brief and get straight to the point. Keep it within three to four lines as a rule.
· Your Educational Background – Put your current or most recent school or training on top of the list. Include the name of the place, followed by the subjects you studied, followed by your grades. Then keep listing them in reverse chronological order until they’re no longer relevant.
· Your Past Work Experience – Again, start with your current or most recent job. List the company name followed by your job title at that company. Then list your responsibilities and duties in a series of bullet points. Once more, go in reverse chronological order.
· Your Interests – This is an important section to let employers know who you are as a person. Briefly list here a few of your hobbies, interests, and favorite pastimes. Keep it short, though. You want your prospective employer to know what you like. You don’t need to tell them everything about yourself.
· Professional References – Lastly, round out your CV with a couple of past employer references. Managers work best here, for obvious reasons. List the person’s name, the address of their company, and their contact phone number. This lets prospective employers validate your experience and professional skills before hiring you.
Extra CV Advice
Now that your CV is properly built, take some time to polish it up. The above were only the basics of CV writing that everyone should follow. Below are some tips to help your CV in particular most stand out.
· Check the Spelling – Read through your finished CV and check for typos and grammatical errors. You don’t want your hard work rendered moot by poor spelling. A little editing goes a long way.
· Check the Spelling Again – Seriously, spelling and grammar are that important to a CV. The most common mistake CVs that face are spelling errors. Most employees throw out CVs that aren’t typo-free. Don’t let that happen to you.
· Keep it Short – A good CV shouldn’t run longer than two pages. Any more than that looks like over-padding and will get you ignored.
· Keep Layouts Clean – Employers don’t read every CV that they receive. Most get a cursory scan of about 30 seconds. You want your information to prove easily found within that time limit. Opt for clean, clear layouts over dense clutter.
Now that your CV is finished and polished, you’re one step closer to a successful professional career. Much of this CV writing advice is also applicable to other vital job search tools. What works for a CV is also good advice for resumes and
cover letters.
