The most important part of any job application is the CV. It’s an opportunity for you to demonstrate your past experience and skills to a potential employee. It’s your chance to show why you’re exactly right for the role. You’ll likely be facing a lot of competition so you want to ensure your CV makes you stand out as an ideal candidate. So how should you structure your CV to get the best results?
Contents
Tailor It
It’s important you write your CV specifically for the job you’re applying for. Whatever past experiences you’ve had, you should use skills from them to make it relevant to the position you want. You could be looking for interim HR roles. So you’ll want to highlight your communication skills and point to experiences where you helped people in your previous roles. Avoid generic phrases and buzzwords. The more specific you can be, the more your CV will stick out to the potential employee.
Creative Design
You could make your CV stand out before it’s even been read. This could be particularly useful for those of you looking to get into creative industries, such as graphic design. Or say for instance if you’re applying for a job in TV, you could make your CV in a video form. Before making any creative leaps with your CV, research the company you’re applying to thoroughly. Some will really appreciate this effort, and others won’t think it’s appropriate.
Personal Details
CV’s tend to include the same information – they revolve around past work experience and education. Of course, this should be the bulk of its content. However, you should also consider including personal details about yourself. Something that shows the potential employee that there’s more to you outside of work. Your hobbies show what you’re passionate about. It may feel like a small detail to you, but it can make a big difference for your chances of getting hired.
To the Point
Remember when writing your CV, it’s important to keep it as brief as possible. You want to create an easy read for the hiring manager. The general advice is to keep it to two sides of A4, but this can vary depending on the industry. Keep your work experience and interests succinct. If you’re unsure what to cut, or what to add, don’t be afraid to reach out to a friend to get a second opinion on it. Also if you want some suggestions of what to cut on your CV, there are more tips on that right here.
Job hunting can be a laborious process but for all the hard work you put into it, you’ll be rewarded with the right job in the end. Do you have any tips for creating a successful CV?
