Top 5 Tips With Writing Your CV

CV writing is probably one of the most daunting experiences people go through in their life. Just thinking about it makes me question what I am doing with my life and I am guessing you are the same as you clicked on the link and here with me today.

So after seeing countless CVs, I thought it would be nice to share what really stood out for me and hopefully it makes a long winded exercise a little less boring.

1. Look at the Job Description of your perfect next role first before anything

If you're writing your CV, you already have a reason for doing so. You want more money, more freedom, more life and you need that next step to get there. So you already have the role in your mind. My advice is check what they are asking for and then set your experiences with those specific examples. It is much easier writing a book if you know exactly what the audience is looking for. It is much easier thinking of specific qualities about yourself when someone sets out the bullet points for you.

2. Choose a clear, easy to read layout.

The best CVs I have ever seen have been the ones that list out their responsibilities and accomplishments straight after with every role. It makes it easier for us recruiters and also the employers themselves tend to want to spend 30 seconds on each CV. Nothing is worse than trying to find the relevant points or worse yet, not understand the CV at all. Unless you are a Graphic Designer looking to work in the Anime tech industry, it is probably wise to have a simple layout.

3. Get a second opinion on your CV

It may sound like a time-consuming process and daunting to have a recruiter or a close friend to look over your CV but it really can help when there are more eyes on the CV. My mum taught me that a problem shared is a problem halved and she would repeatedly find people to look over her CV and her chances going up the ladder did increase. Your chances of interviewing are far greater when you have someone helping you along the way.

4. Keep it error free

The amount of CVs I have seen that have incorrect company name, old email address or incorrect phone number is insane. The tiny errors can make the biggest impact on your job search so always make sure every detail is accurate. The fewer the mistakes, the bigger the pay check. Okay that might not be 100% true but it still does increase your chances for the step up. The amount of software out there to do this for you is frightening.

5. Keep your CV current

Before writing the CV, make sure you plan what you will say about each relevant job you have. A lot of people write roles not relevant to their next step and as a sales recruiter I can tell you, it is always best to keep it current and relevant as much I love reading some have babysat when they were 16 and gained life skills.

Hope this helps some of you, just know you are not alone. We are always happy to help in this mundane task.