Your CV could be your passport to your next exciting career or journey so getting it right is important!
Employers have limited time to shortlist applications and first impressions count, so you need to make your CV stand out from the crowd and end up on the “YES” pile.
That means… no six page CV! Believe me, I know it’s challenging when you are proud of your career history, but employers will not waste time wading through pages of waffle and will only want to concentrate on what you have been doing in the last 10 – 15 years.
So, if you’ve not had to prepare a CV for many years, then dust it off and get to work on a lean, flexible and modern profile to make sure you are fully fit to hit the job market.
Although it can initially seem a daunting task, the process of CV writing can be very empowering and provides the opportunity to re-connect with the positive skills and attributes we have acquired in our working lives.
1. Take a bit of time to do a skills analysis and re-evaluate your motivations and needs … because they do change!
2. Before you target the job market, identify realistic, attainable career options … a scattergun approach will not result in job search success .
3. Think about the style of CV that will work best for you … reverse chronological, skills based or both? You might have more than one CV.
4. Review your current CV and consider how it can be slimmed down based on the number of jobs/training you have had over the years and their relevance to your next opportunity.
5. Steer clear of duplicating language throughout your CV and keep sentences to a minimum, using bullet points can be helpful for maximum impact, but not too many!
6. Highlight key information in short punchy sentences … don’t make Recruiters search through paragraphs of detail to find the hidden gem … they probably won’t bother… remember the shortlisting process and “Yes” pile!
7. Before you hit send … Spellcheck it for typos and grammatical errors, print if off and read it and get a friend to review it too .. check..check…check.
Good luck and CV success … I hope you are on your way to find that Dream Job!
… Oh, by the way – don’t forget the covering letter! But that’s another story… to be continued……
