10 Minute CV Guide
“Your resumé says a lot about you. It determines whether you will be called in for an interview or not.” – Anon?
Research shows you have all of 6 seconds to grab an employer’s attention with your CV.???
I know you’re thinking they’re not the most exciting document; how can I make it interesting enough to grab someone’s attention…?
Well, we have an answer.?
Are you ready??
Take 10 minutes, grab a pen and let’s get your CV up to speed.??
Minute 1:?
Have a quick look at your CV. Can you read it easily? Or have you tried to cram too much in in too small a space???
As a typesetter will tell you, there is an art to creating text that people want to read. It needs to have clearly defined sections, have an ideal font size of 11 (and no less than 10!), include lots of white space, and allow your key message to be clearly understood.??
Before you move to solving the problem by spreading your CV out over several pages, the ideal length of a CV is two pages (and depending on your industry sometimes only one page). How is this possible I hear you cry! By getting crystal clear on what is essential to emphasise for each position you are applying for.??
Minutes 2-3:?
Read your personal statement. If you don’t have one, now’s a good time to write it! An overview should tell the employer all the key things that they need to know in 6 seconds. Basically, it’s 3-6 sentences that boils down your skills, experience and what sort of role and organisation you are looking for.??
This is particularly important as many organisations use Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) which can be set to filter out anyone who is not mentioning the exact job title or essential role requirements.?
Minutes 4-8:?
?
Your CV is a sales and marketing document.??
Think about what marketeers do when they sell a car.??
They talk about the lifestyle you’ll have when you own the car. They help you to FEEL what it will be like to have the car. They put YOU at the heart of the advert rather than the car.??
That’s exactly what we need to do with your CV. Yes, your CV is more about THEM than it is you!??
The organisation’s exact needs should be at the heart of everything you convey on your CV, helping them to visualise the results you will create for them.????
Read every line and ask yourself ‘so that?...’. This will help you to come away from a long list of tasks to concrete results of WHY you were doing the task in the first place.?
?
If you see any generic tasks like: “managed the team” or “Arranged a team away day” you need to start thinking about why someone should care. What did managing the team help the organisation to accomplish? What was the impact of the team away day on the business? Organisations want quantifiable information on how you can help them. They have a need within their organisation that you can fill so make it easy for them to say yes.?
?
Instead of saying “Responsible for managing the quality management team”, consider making it more results driven. So something like: “Managed a team of five people who rolled out the new quality management initiative for the business, resulting in a 5 per cent reduction in manufacturing faults, worth ￡100,000 per year.”?
See the difference??
Circle any bullet points that you need to either come back and delete (because they aren’t that relevant), or come back to with the question ‘so that…?’ in your mind in order to make them more outcome driven.???
Minutes 8-10:?
Update your education and skills section and delete anything that is over 10-15+ years old unless it is particularly relevant. Include your highest level of education. You can remove your A ‘Levels if you have done a degree, for example.?
Finally, check, check, …and then check again (or better still ask someone to check for you). Even small errors can land your CV in the bin.??
Okay, you’ve now successfully updated your CV! I know, you’ve got more work to do – schedule some time in the next 48 hours to revisit what you’ve circled. Don’t wait longer than that – it’s too easy to avoid (and it can help you to land that job!).?
Joanna Lott?
Hi, I'm Jo like so many others, I didn't know what I wanted to do for a career. My parents encouraged me to get a nice steady office job, so that's exactly what I did.??
I learnt a lot about people and business through my 20 years working in governance and HR. But it took me many years to find what I was really interested in doing. In the meantime, I was working in London where I had achieved success but deep down I knew I was in the wrong place. I kept looking for work where I would feel fulfilled and make the impact that I wanted to have.
Jo will be delivering two workshops on creating a great CV, see below for details:?
How to write a successful CV to open the door to your next job with Jo Lott?