(1) CV tips - make your CV work for you

Our first article in the #candidate series will center on your job search ID – your CV. There is so much advice out there and there is certainly no single right way – although there are many wrong ways – to do it but we will focus on often ignored basics, busting some myths and using your CV to show the recruiter you really read and understood what the job you applied for is about. While CVs are still very relevant, sometimes an up-to-date and detailed enough LinkedIn profile may also do the trick, and so can an About me/personal page.?

The basics:

Grammar: spelling errors are simply not acceptable, not with so much help you can get nowadays to check the correct spelling. Double and triple check your CV and have another person take a look, maybe you need a fresh pair of eyes to review a doc you’ve been working so hard on and are maybe too tired to spot errors at this point.

What’s obvious to you may not be obvious to others: So many times, when we’ve given feedback on CVs we’ve heard Yeah but THAT’s obvious from my CV or I didn’t think THAT was relevant to add – make it easy for people to spot what you think is obvious. No one knows your life story and cannot immediately connect the dots.

Prevent the quick CV elimination: ensure your location, as well as work permits/visas, are displayed in an obvious place on your CV - such as very close to your name and personal details. This will prevent the assumptions that do not work in your favor.

Language: Send your CV in the same language as the job advert. This sounds obvious but we cannot count the times we have seen CVs in the language of the country rather than the language of the job advert. We think this is because candidates may assume the recruiter on the other side of the process speaks the local language, but, even if that is the case, someone else in the selection process will not, and this will give an impression of not putting in the basic effort in the application process. It’s also an easy way to show you speak the language of the company which really is the basic requirement.

Photo: Whether you put it in your CV or not, make sure it’s professional enough. We’ve seen everything from a 90-degree rotated photo to pouting selfies to beach or party photos to cut-outs from group photos. This shows lack of effort and/or complete disregard of advice you can easily google. The photo does not need to be very serious, actually a smiling face is more likely to stick in a recruiter’s mind, but make sure, if you do use it, to have it reflect you as someone who cares about being presentable at work.

Format and versions: There are so many templates and apps out there now that you shouldn’t be stuck with the Google docs or Word docs when writing your CV. We think Canva works great, and even the free version will allow you to save different templates of your CV. Yes, you do need to have different versions of your CV. Each job application is different and you will, from time to time, not all the time, need to tweak your CV to include keywords or reorder the experience/education so it’s more readable depending on the job offer. Save your CV in a PDF format and escape the jaws of the mighty ATS (see below for more).

Length: It’s completely logical that a person with longer experience and track record will have a longer CV,?but make sure it’s not too cluttered, you don’t have to get into lots of detail in your CV, just highlight the main points that make you a good match for the job on offer. Equally, if you have little experience, that’s totally OK, you’ll need to gain it somewhere so your CV is not expected to be very lengthy, and resist putting stuff in just for the length’s sake.

The alignment:

Structure: Organizing your CV in sections that are not necessarily just a vertical summary of everything you have ever done or learnt is advisable. You need to be able to write down the most important information in a way that makes it easy for a recruiter to immediately spot it and, having seen potential in your CV, come back to it later to revise in detail.

An intro summary/one-line with a photo on the side is a nice way to say Hi, I’m…

We then recommend you list your experience, followed by education in the main body of the page, while you can list your skills and any personal info you may want to share in side-line sections. Again, you will need to reiterate and recalibrate every once in a while, but your goal is to create almost a one-pager that contains the KEY information about you and your achievements.

Key words: Your CV needs to reflect the key words from the job descriptions of the positions you are applying for to make it easier for the company to spot the match. We hope every recruiter takes the sufficient time to review a CV but you can also help them not discard yours super-fast by mirroring the wording of the skills you do have or adapting the language slightly, all within reason. If you do not have the said skills or experience, you’ll not do yourself any favors by being dishonest.?

The narrative: We strongly believe a CV should be written in a way that it serves as a prop for you when you land that first interview with a recruiter.

You should be able to talk the recruiter through the Why of your journey so far. While there are many professionals with uninterrupted professional trajectories, there are also many other people who have had more irregular paths, and telling your story in an the interview is your chance to show how what you’ve done so far has led you to this company and your purpose in it. An opportunity to talk about yourself as a good candidate in an interview should guide you in writing a CV that will serve you in that moment.

Finally, feedback:

Ask you partners, your friends and anyone else whose opinion you value what they think of your CV. Even if these people may not know you in the professional context and may not be able to tell what a good CV necessarily is, you’d be surprised how much you’ll get from this exercise. They know you and can help you tell your story, they can point you out any exaggerations or underestimations of your own skills and they mean you well, you’ll get a different perspective on what kind of person they see from your CV. If you have recruiters in your network, they may also be able to take a quick look and point out the most obvious edits that need to happen.

Fear of the mighty ATS – Applicant Tracking Systems have surely made the Recruiters’ lives easier but they are a tool, very useful if used well. They themselves do not make decisions. We have not yet met a recruiter who relies on an ATS to filter CVs for them, at least not beyond the minimum requirements such as location and work permits, in which case you really will not stand a chance if a company cannot provide relocation or sponsorship. Make sure your CV is not in an editable format though, as an ATS may not be able to display it properly.

We believe that if you follow these steps, you’ll create a CV that represents you and that can serve you in your journey to securing a job.

Thank you for reading and we hope this has been useful.

Contact us for any questions, comments and suggestions.?

This article has been co-authored with Milena Stanic