Having seen many thousands of CVs over the years, following are our ideas of what makes a great résumé.
Remember that you have little time to catch attention so take the time to get your CV right.
- Write it yourself because nobody knows your career history and achievements better than you.
- Keep your content relevant to the role you are applying for. To keep it valid, ask yourself “so what?” after each point.
- Your résumé needs to be “scan-able” so use an easy to read font and bullets and save using bold for the headings and titles.
- Do not rely on spell checker, check it yourself! Read your résumé thoroughly for those errors spell checker may miss.
- A CV written in “no” person is best but if you choose to write your résumé in the first or third person, stick to it. Also, ensure that your past experience is written in the past tense.
- Don’t feel you have to gloss over any gaps or unemployed periods, just write a short explanation.
- In your skills summary list only those that are current and are appropriate to your application.
- Ensure you include your achievements as this is your opportunity to showcase your personal brand.
Remember hiring manager’s receive hundreds of applications and your CV should stand out from the crowd, for all the right reasons!
Katrina was recently interviewed by Viv Oyolu on Dream Corner on OnFM 101.4 London Radio, along with Elkie Holland and Lois Ireson and here are some great tips for your CV.
If you’d like some help with your CV or just an honest opinion do not hesitate to contact us.
More tips can always be found on the WI Blog.