Five Ways to Improve Your CV
Need a pick-me-up to remind yourself how good you are, or are you simply keeping all your options open and considering looking for a new job soon? Then it's time to get your CV into shape. But what makes a good CV and how can you make sure that yours is good enough to get you that all important interview?
Your CV is designed to do one thing and one thing only: to get you an interview. But the average recruiter will only spend between 20 to 30 seconds glancing at a CV which means that you need to make an impression quickly and sell yourself.
Here are five things that you can do to enhance your CV and improve your job chances.
1. Personal statement
Like the first line of a book or the opening scene of a film, your personal statement needs to grab your audiences' (the recruiter) attention and give them a reason to find out more about you and what you can bring to their business. Avoid clichés like 'Motivated individual' or stock phrases such as 'Results orientated' because they are not only over-used, they don't give the employer anything to bite on.
It goes without saying that you should be 'motivated' and focused on achieving your targets, so why bother highlighting it. Instead, focus on how you will be an asset to the employers business. For example:
'Senior advertising sales executive with solid man-management experience and a strong contact list. Skilled at creating, presenting and managing million-pound multi-media solutions for clients at all levels including CEO, and working knowledge of MMS, ABC and Lexus Nexus'
Advertising agencies are paid large sums of money by brands to create headlines that grab their audience's attention. And what they all have in common is their tone. They use language that explains the benefits that you as a potential consumer will enjoy if you purchase their product; they never tell you in their adverts that they plan to sell more goods or expand their product range.
2. CV layout
Limit your CV to a maximum of two pages. The first -- and most important -- page focuses on your strengths and demonstrates that you are precisely the person for the job. The second page will focus on your career history and personal details. Most people structure their CVs the other way round but you must remember that your CV needs to show that you have the skills employers are looking for because they want to determine 'what can this person do for my business?'
3. Skills
Around 80 per cent of CVs today are placed directly into keyword-searchable databases and there are three key skills types:
Clearly, transferable and job-related skills are the most desirable to include in your CV. But be sure to include the ones that will help you stand out. Here is a list of skills that are particularly popular with employers:
Keep your list short and sweet and tailor your list to the position that you are applying for -- a targeted list will be more effective than one that's overlong.
4. Employment history
Employers spend more time looking at this section than any other and you need to quickly convince a potential employer of your suitability to the advertised role. But, there are different formats or 'types' of CVs that can be used to communicate your employment history and the one that you choose to use will be dependent upon what stage you are at in your career:
Chronological: If you are applying for a position that is similar to the one that you already have and can show a track record of gradually advancing your career, this CV is ideal.
Functional CV: This format is recommended for those who have been out of the workforce for a prolonged period of time or those seeking to change careers because it focuses on the experience and skills you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for instead of employment dates. Replace the traditional 'Company,' 'Job Title' and 'Date' headings with the 'NAME' of the most important skills and experience that you have developed through paid employment, voluntary work of general life experience.
Combination CV: Redundancy and job hopping have become more commonplace yet several employment dates will still signal red flags for potential employers and could harm your chance of securing the job that you want. Counter this by 'dividing and combining' your employment history.
Split your Employment History into two sections: 'Relevant Work History' and 'Other Employment.'
In the first section, list -- in chronological order -- the positions that you have held which demonstrate your ability to do the job you are applying for. Include a brief paragraph that enables you to quantify what you have done. For example, "Significantly increased revenues and grew client base by 40 per cent".
Then include the 'Other Employment' section underneath where you can include the details of your other previous employers
5. Education
Where you position your Education section on your CV is dependent upon how well it enhances your application. If your educational background is your strongest selling point then this section needs to appear somewhere near the top of your CV, following your Personal Statement.
This is especially the case if you have recently graduated (especially from a highly regarded university), obtained excellent academic results or are currently studying towards a professional qualification relating to your chosen career.
Under all other circumstances, the Education section should appear under your Employment History so as to highlight your career achievements and experience.
Admittedly, many employers will still insist that applicants have certain qualifications such as a university degree but, many others will consider experience, skills and professional expertise as more valuable assets and any educational shortcomings can be overlooked.