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Writing a smashing CV
Charlotte Booth • 23 December 2020
Getting your foot in the door.
Looking for a job is stressful at the best of times, but at the moment the job market is brutal with thousands of people coming onto the job market all applying for the same jobs - some over-qualified for what they are applying for.
So how do you stand out?
The answer to getting over the first hurdle is having a functional and impressive CV.
Dos and Don'ts with CVs
It is difficult to summarise a life-time of working and experience onto two sides of A4 paper. One of the most common mistakes is that people will put too much information on their CVs. So here are ten dos and don'ts when writing a CV to get noticed.
1 - Do not write long blocks of text - recruiters with hundreds of applications won't have the time or inclination to read it, no matter how impressive it is.
2 - Bullet point the important points - If you worked in a pub, there is no need to write a job spec (everyone knows what bar staff do), but bullet point anything over and above the ordinary (cashing up at the end of the night, stock ordering, talking fighting drunks down).
3 - Don't waste space with hobbies - If you are struggling for space weigh up the value of using a third of the page for hobbies. If you are applying for a job as a personal trainer talking about a fundraiser where you ran 27 marathons in a month is valid, but not so much if you are applying for an accountancy job. How valuable is reading, going to the cinema, and going to the gym really in getting that dream job?
4 - Multiple CVs - Many people think they can have a multi-purpose CV but for many this may not be appropriate. For example I have four CVs - journalism and writing, Egyptology and archaeology, management and administration, and teaching - all of which can be taken and formed from my 'master CV'. If I am applying for an archaeology position my management and administration experience may not be relevant. So depending on the job, I am able to put together a CV with all the relevant experience outlined.
5 - You don't have to have everything in chronological order - Having a CV in reverse chronological order is the traditional means of putting a CV together and this works perfectly for someone who has followed a linear career path. For others it may end up pushing the most irrelevant experience to the top (for example, if between marketing jobs, you have taken a job with Amazon delivering parcels to tide you over, you don't want this to be the first thing the recruiter sees). You can present your CV in any way you like with sub-sections such as relevant experience, current role, supporting experience. As each CV should be catered for a specific role, you can play with this to ensure what is at the top is your selling point.
6 - You don't have to fit everything to two pages - It is a common adage that your CV must fit onto two sides of A4. Whilst this is ideal it is not set in stone - this is more for convenience for the recruiter when printing out. I have seen many CVs where people have adhered to this arbitrary rule by reducing the margins on the page so the text goes right to the edge. This looks awful. If you desperately want to stick to two pages, cut the text not the margins. But having three pages of valuable experience is not the end of the world.
7 - Format is king - Imagine this scenario. You apply for a job and 2,000 other, similarly qualified and experienced people have also applied (this is based on a job I applied for in Egyptology). Now imagine the recruiter, with 2,000 CVs on their desk. Which page are they going to look at to decide whether the person is a viable candidate or not? All of them? Not a chance. The first paragraph or two on page one, if you are lucky. So don't fill page one with personal details (address, education, skills and hobbies) - they go at the end. The first page should have your most relevant experience and perhaps a short personal statement saying why you are great for the job. If they have asked for an MA in flower arranging, they will assume you have this or you wouldn't have applied so there is no need to have that on the front page.
8 - List your transferable skills - if you have skills which have been used in numerous roles, rather than repeating them under each role, have them in a single section. This is for useful skills like public speaking, cold calling, fluent Spanish etc. Most people are proficient on the Microsoft or Apple packages so this doesn't need to be listed unless they have asked for skills in a particular piece of software, but if you are an expert in SAGE or can programme in Java or Python they should go in.
9 - Keep the specific job in mind - unless you are creating your 'master CV' which will include everything you have done in chronological order, when compiling your CV you should keep the specific job role in mind that you are actually applying for. Everything you write down should demonstrate how awesome you would be at that specific job. Being able to draw a Guinness shamrock in the head of a pint isn't going to get you a job as a marketing executive so it doesn't need to go in.
10 - Your CV is as unique as you are - Whilst there is best practice with CV writing, there are no hard and fast rules. By keeping point 7 and 9 in mind, you can create the most appropriate and eye-catching CV for the role you are applying for.
11 - Bonus tip! Don't use mad fonts - Trying to stand out doesn't mean using loads of fonts or coloured text. This does little but irritate the recruiter and show a lack of confidence. Let your words speak for themselves.
CV writing is not a quick task - especially in a competitive industry. But it is an essential task. Having a CV which is well-crafted and presents you as the best you can be can be the first step in getting that dream job. If you would like help with your CV or work with organisations offering outplacement support I am happy to discuss your requirements. Drop me an email and let's get the ball rolling.
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