How to create your CV in under 3 hours?

After reviewing countless resumes in the past 10 years, I have it on good authority that the first impression counts and a well written resume is the solution for being shortlisted.

Among the roles handled, I recalled a Managing Director mandate.

13 resumes were received. Only 1 met the criteria for what I considered to be an attractive profile. (Spoiler: He went on to clinch the role.)

Of the remainder, 5 were good but not remarkable. The rest didn't make it.

There are different factors influencing the content of their resumes. However, if I were to remove those non-controllable unique factors, I am confident that those resumes can be significantly improved by giving it System 2 Thinking (aka laborious thinking).

Unfortunately, many don't because the human mind is susceptible to doing things with minimal effort.

Writing a good CV does not require phenomenal skills. Here are the steps which when coupled with laborious thinking, will do wonders for your job application outcome.

1?? Gather Your Information (15 minutes)

• Personal Details: Full name, phone number, email address
• Professional Summary: Highlight your skills, milestone experience (4-5 sentences).
• Work Experience: List your jobs with company names, dates?, and key responsibilities, achievements
• Education: Degrees, certifications, and institutions attended
• Skills: Relevant technical and soft skills
• Achievements: Awards, publications, or significant accomplishments.

? For dates, use this format mmm yyyy - mmm yyyy. For example, Jan 2024 - Dec 2024. Don't leave people guessing which month you join and leave an organization. I see people writing "2023". It means you started and left in 2023 but how many months in between?         

2?? Choose a Template (5 minutes)

There are dozens of templates available online. Choose the one that is top down chronological (single column)

Download my template. This is proven to be best format for both human reading and digital Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

3?? Write Your CV (45-60 minutes)

• Personal Details: Fill in your basic information at the top
• Professional Summary: Write a concise summary of your experience and achievements
• Work Experience: List your jobs from most recent at the top (page 1)
• Education: List your degrees and certifications, including dates and institutions
• Skills: List your relevant skills, grouping them by category for quick reference
• Achievements: Highlight any awards, publications, or significant accomplishments

4?? Proofread and Edit (30 minutes)

• Check for Errors: Carefully review your CV for typos, grammatical errors, and inconsistencies
• Formatting: Ensure your CV is visually appealing and easy to read. Use the template
• Tailor for the Job: If applying for a specific job, customize your CV to highlight relevant skills and experience

5?? Save and Share (15 minutes)

Save as PDF before sending out: This format ensures your CV looks consistent across different devices

Sharing your CV on your LinkedIn profile is a personal decision. If you are on a full hunting mode, making your compelling CV readily available can save time for both sides.

?? Additional Tips

• Keep it Concise: Aim for a 2-page CV if possible
• Use Keywords: Incorporate keywords from the job description to improve your chances of getting through applicant tracking systems (ATS)
• Quantify Achievements: Use metrics to demonstrate your impact (e.g., "Increased sales or output by 20%, and achieved overall 35% which is 10 points above industry benchmark". Extra tip...the use of benchmarking accentuates your achievements and lend it meaning.)
• Get Feedback: Ask a mentor or coach to review your CV. Don't ask a friend unless they have a trained eye for such

P.S. Download my template and follow the tips above to create your own outstanding CV without being buried in the sea of AI-churned resumes? To save time, DM for my resume writing service ??

#Resume #CV