Writing a good CV can be challenging. You want it to stand out but be taken seriously, be short and sweet yet fleshed out and make you look good. CV writing is a skill and best done with research, planning and thought. So here are some tips to help you create and shape a professional CV.
1. Choose a good template and keep it short and to the point
Potential employers usually don't have a lot of time for extended sessions of CV reading. They might have to scan through ten, twenty or even a hundred CVs at a time, so if yours is text-heavy and doesn't catch their eye, they might not even read through it properly (or at all!). Look for easy-on-the-eye template designs online to help you with this. By sticking to short, purposeful summaries and distinguishable bullet points, employers will be much more inclined to read what is in front of them. With luck they will spot your ability to prioritize what is important, and your comprehension of the requirements for the position you are applying to. Try to keep your CV under 2 pages, and don't split relevant information between pages that fall in the same category.
There must be few thigs that make people lose faith in what they're reading as much as a typo. See what I mean? Employers will see your desire for landing the job based on the effort you've put into all aspects of your CV. This includes the format, grammar and spelling, as well as general language skills. Proofread your work, and get someone else to
check it for you as well while you're at it. It might not seem like much, but typos in your CV can change a call-back into a rejection, so take them seriously!
3. Use action words to reveal what you have achieved
Word use is a craft in itself, and using action words will prove to your potential employer that you have initiative and leadership qualities, which are always attractive in a job applicant. Get creative with it and use action words that are less obvious. For example, instead of using words like handled, managed, responsible for, led, that employers will see on most CVs, replace them with words like headed, devised, achieved, influenced, cultivated - the list goes on and on, so remember that Google is your friend if you're feeling stumped.4. Your CV should target your skills in relation to the job for which you are applying
It is easy to talk and write about oneself and one's history and achievements,
but focusing on how you can excel at and benefit the specific company and position you are applying for
is crucial in standing out among other applicants. Show your potential employers that you know what they want and that you are the right person for the job!
5. Choose an attractive and readable font
While cursive looks fancy
in a hand-written letter and Comic Sans might be easy to read, neither of these fonts are necessarily appropriate for a professional CV. Using a font that looks formal but is easily readable is an absolutely crucial step in crafting a quality CV. Good fonts to use are Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman, to name a few. Never underestimate the power of a font; CVs have been thrown out for way less than simply looking obnoxious or giving the employer a headache when trying to read it.
You want to be taken seriously, and while a good sense of humour is a great thing to have, it's not commonly a relevant skill to list on your CV. Humour can easily be
misinterpreted and might make your potential employers think you're not taking the job seriously, which will significantly reduce your chances of getting it. Furthermore, any form
of jargon or slang must be avoided at all costs for similar reasons. Formality
and professionalism will make you seem serious and determined in your effort to get and do the job you are applying for.
7. When including your references, add their full names and job descriptions
Your potential employer will want the full name,
contact details and the position/job description of the people you list as references, or they might not count for much and will just take up unnecessary space on your CV.
8. List your work and academic experience in reverse chronological order
For example, it's better to list your university degree first before your matric scores, as
the degree plays a larger, more important role than school at this point. The
same goes for the jobs you've had. It is more important to list your most recent
job first, as this avoids confusion and makes your potential employer's work so much
easier when it comes to reading your CV. And if there's one thing we've learned, it's that we want to make reading our CVs as easy and enjoyable as possible.
Take your time creating your CV. It's your first impression to a potential employer and a crucial step in landing a job. Your CV is not only a reflection of your prior experience and how qualified you are for a job, but also reveals your character and your focus on the details. Remember this, CVs that look unprofessional and sloppy are very likely to end up at the bottom of a bin.
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