CVs – often one of the simplest but also hardest parts of applying for a new job. We can make them too long, too wordy, too sparse, too complicated and there are endless tips out on the great world wide web that can make it as daunting a house renovation Pinterest board you’ve collated over the last 10 years.
Now we’ve seen our fair share of CVs and get asked daily for advice on how to improve a CV. And so, we’ve got our heads together here at 923 to bring together our top 6 bits of advice for your next winning CV.
Keep it simple
If a CV is hard to read and understand, it puts people off from the start. Keep the layout clear and ideally no more than two or three pages.
Career Break
If you’ve taken a break to raise your family or to go travelling (or gone travelling as a family!), tell us about it and include it on your CV. The life skills you’ve acquired during that period should not go untold so make sure you list these as achievements - we cannot stress this enough! Do not leave any gaps!
Relevant to the role
It is amazing how many people send out a generic CV for all the positions they apply for. Although it can take a while to tailor your CV to every role, it could make all the difference when going through the short-listing process. It shows us that someone has really thought about what they want and why. Start by creating a universal CV that can then be adapted for each role to highlight job specific achievements or responsibilities.
Looking Good
As with the above, tailor the look of your CV for the role you’re going for. Use clean fonts, a good, simple layout and in a Word Docx format if you’re sending it to a recruiter particularly.
Applying for a creative role? Show some of your creative talents in the look of your CV. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd. This example is REALLY going above and beyond and we love the concept >>
Copyright Jon Ryder - www.fullstopnewparagraph.co.uk
Achievements are Important
Explaining your previous experience and duties is great but give us the juicy bits and shout about your achievements. Tell us you tripled sales, increased output, or grew engagement.
the Covering Letter
Not all roles demand one but we love a well-crafted and considered cover letter. They’re a great space for explaining why you are the right fit for a role and why you want the job. It shows you’ve taken the time to get to grips with the job description and how your skills specifically show you’re right for the job.
What advice have you been given in the past? Any top tips or truly awful snippets of wisdom?
Finally, if you’re liking the look of one of our roles and know you’d be a great fit, but don’t have a polished to perfection CV, get in touch with us and we’ll help you work flexible magic on it.
Top Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash