01 Jun 2023
A CV is an essential part of any job search and a great way to put all your skills, qualifications and experience in one place. It can also be a daunting place to start, as most people aren’t very good at talking up their own skills and abilities. This is a very human failing and most of us suffer from it, so don’t think you are the only person who has been struggling on this front.
Crafting the perfect CV can be daunting, so we have put together a list of the top 5 tips and tricks for writing a CV.
Grab your recruiter’s attention!
Did you know that the average human attention span is less than that of a goldfish? At around 8 seconds, your CV needs to really stand out to make an impression, and the fundamental truth is that most CV’s are boring. They have the same sections, a similar layout and repetitive words and phrases such as ‘I can work on my own and as part of a team’.
Be the recruiter. If you had been trawling through dozens of CVs, would you sit up and take notice of your own? It can be a big ask, but try to make sure your individuality and personality shines through.
Perhaps look at how to use the layout slightly differently, choosing to emphasise your transferable skills upfront rather than leaving them to the section that deals with the roles you held in previous employment.
Don’t make fundamental errors
Spelling or grammatical mistakes will put a CV straight on the reject pile, virtually without exception. Spellcheck thoroughly and get your CV checked by someone else, be it a family member, friend or colleague. At Ourbob.com we also offer a CV Review Service, so let our experts lend a hand.
There is no excuse for bad grammar or spelling these days, particularly with free tools such as Grammarly that can be used to improve not just the grammar but the overall tone of any piece of writing. Grammarly can even help you to optimise what you write to sound more confident.
Don’t overhype how marvellous you are, it is always better to let the facts speak for themselves. It will come across in your writing if you are experienced and/or highly educated, so there is no need to say you are overqualified for the role.
Saying that you are overqualified for the role also leads to the question “well why are you applying?” and the implication is that you were unable to secure a job that you were adequately qualified for.
Don’t try to be funny – it rarely works, and you may simply come across as arrogant and pretentious. Humour is a very hard thing to land successfully in a CV, so it is better not to even try it than to fail miserably.
Avoid cheesy mission statements or writing in the third person, as these will also give the wrong impression about you as a person and you will be less likely to be offered an interview.
Layout 101
Use the same font in your CV and covering letter to maintain consistency in your application. Do not use Times New Roman – use ‘Sans Serif’ fonts such as Arial, Verdana, Century Gothic, Tahoma, or possibly Cambria and Calibri. Save your document as Joe Bloggs CV, except with your actual name instead of Joe Bloggs. This ensures that it is always easy to find your latest CV on your computer with a simple search.
Ensure the banner at the top of the page features a prominent title with your full name, together with your email address, phone number and social media links to sites such as LinkedIn. Ensure that your email address is a professional one and has your first and last name rather than being a “novelty” email address. If you need to set up a different email address than you normally use just for job applications, there are plenty of free email providers to choose from. Just be sure to check it regularly.
Use short and snappy sentences. When using lists, avoid overloading your CV with bullet points. Where appropriate, use visuals or colour to liven it up., but try not to go too overboard. It still has to have a professional look.
One size doesn’t fit all
A single CV is never going to tick all the boxes for every job you apply for. Have a core CV which lists your main skills, achievements, work experience, education history, interests and referees that will be relevant to most of the jobs you will apply for.
You can then use this core CV to copy and paste relevant information into a tailored CV for each role you are applying for. Recruiters are looking for relevant candidates, which is why it is crucial to tailor each CV for every single application. It sounds like a lot of work in the short-term but there will be a suitably long-term pay-off when you manage to get one of the jobs that you would really like, off the back of it.
Ask for feedback
You aren’t going to get every job you apply for, that is just the nature of job hunting, unfortunately. If you don’t manage to get an interview on the back of your CV application, you are allowed to get in touch and ask why. They don’t necessarily have to tell you but they may feel that they have some useful feedback that you could benefit from hearing.
It is important not to take rejection personally. Whilst some recruiters may ignore your email or phone call, most will be happy to give you feedback. This feedback is crucial and will serve you well in the long run, potentially giving you the edge over your competitors on your next application. It is always a learning experience and each iteration of your CV will be an improvement on what came before, based on your real-life experiences.
