What Makes a Good CV, Actually
You’ve been composing your CV for hours, but did you know how long (or rather how short) it takes an average HR to read it?
A recruiter spends about six to seven seconds reading a CV. You want those instants to make the best impression. The six following rules encompass what makes a good CV. They are descriptive, but once you get the point, you can produce a paper to improve your career path.
What does a good CV look like?
The simple answer is it is well-adapted for the specific call for applications.
Will the recruiter skim through your CV without memorizing anything?
It can happen if you copy-paste a soft skills list from a CV sample you’ve found online.
This post will explain how to present soft and hard skills in your resume. Those who already boast of specific experience might overlook soft skills, highlighting only the hard ones. Their less experienced colleagues would do vice versa. You should aim for the golden mean.
Main Resume Writing Rules
No Old Resume Is Suitable for a New Job
Each job opening is unique, no matter how typical your profession may be. Adapt your CV to the specific requirements, and make sure you mention all the needed information.
Make It Easy for Speed-Reading
Formatting makes a difference. Candidates for artistic jobs often play with fonts to demonstrate a creative streak. But it only complicates the perception. Use bold to highlight the essentials you want the recruiter to notice.
One Page Equals Ten Years of Experience
A two-page CV means you’ve been in the profession for over ten years. If that’s not the case, delete extra words to make it a single page.
Be Ready to Elaborate on Anything You Mention
If you are successful, you’ll be invited to an interview. Some parts of your CV may seem unclear (like a year you didn’t study or work). Prepare a clear explanation for such questions.
Use Action-Oriented and Results-Focused Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most relevant way to introduce facts. Make sure they focus on your actions and their results.
Mention the Soft Skills that Apply to the Job Opening
You’ll find more to this point in the following section. For now, your task is to think of your personal qualities that facilitate human communication and achieving good results.
How to Make a Good Skills List in Your CV
How do you know what makes a good CV? How do you pick the skills to include? The four tips below explain how hard and soft skills are incorporated into a resume.
1. Identify the Relevant Skills
The more is rarely the better. Have you heard of a six-second resume challenge? That’s the best test you can do to verify your CV. Give it to another person, count to six, and ask what they remembered from the contents. With high probability, that will reflect what your recruiter will think of your skills.
TIP #1: Always include relevant skills only, even if you are proud of having other less relevant ones. You’ll be able to mention them at an in-person interview.
2. Organize Your Skills
Once you’ve compiled the list of relevant skills, categorize them from the most typical to the most unique. Feel free to drop the first 50%, keeping the least commonplace. After that, arrange them in a logical order. Unfortunately, there is no recommendation here, as each case is unparalleled.
TIP #2: Don’t forget to group your chosen skills in one CV section. Dispersing them throughout the file doesn’t work.
3. Highlight the Leading Skills
You’ve chosen the most relevant and unique skills. Now, select a couple that make up your personality. Take the ace from your pocket and make it visible in the CV. It works way better than a dull list of 10+ skills.
TIP #3: Make an accent on a skill (or several) that matches the given job description you’re applying for.
4. Use Power Words
What are power words? They reflect what you did rather than what you were made to do.
An excellent example is as follows:
-?????? Responsible for building a community around the company. Vs. Built a community around the company.
Which variant do you prefer and why? Now look through the following list of power words and find spots in your CV that require improvement:
·?????? Collected
·?????? Organized
·?????? Ensured
·?????? Informed
·?????? Advocated
·?????? Advised
TIP #4: Choose measurable words for your resume and avoid self-assessment.
Skills NOT to Include in a Resume
What a silly recommendation, you may think. You would be surprised to learn how many people make this mistake. You don’t want the skills in your resume that are:
·?????? Obsolete, like using a typing machine or backing up files on a floppy disc;
·?????? Absent, like leadership skills if you’ve never managed a group of people before;
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·?????? Overused, like motivated, focused, and flexible.
·?????? Irrelevant, like the ones below:
What Does a Good CV Look Like – Example
Below is a simple example of a resume that one could use to apply for an English teacher position in higher education institutions.
Education Background
PhD in English Literature – Arizona State University, June 2022
Dissertation title: The Linguistic Means of Expressing Irony in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
MA in English Language – Arizona State University, June 2020
BA in English Language – Northern Arizona University, May 2019
Teaching Experience
Writing Instructor – Arizona State University, June 2022 – August 2023
·?????? Planned and taught a composition-writing course to second-year BA students.
·?????? Designed an interdisciplinary approach to writing.
·?????? Enhanced pedagogical techniques by using instructional technology.
Teaching Assistant – The University of Arizona, Department of the English Language, August 2023 – January 2024
·?????? Prepared and led group discussions on academic issues;
·?????? Planned lessons to be used by the primary instructor;
·?????? Graded papers and exams.
Research Experience
Doctoral Researcher – University of Arizona, 2023 – 2024
Examined the literature of George Orwell, including his writing notes, publication records, diaries, and construction of literary identity.
Publications
Irony in George Orwell’s Animal Farm: An Analysis According to the Echo Theory
George Orwell’s Experiments with Ironic Techniques in the Animal Farm.
Honors and Awards
Early Career Scholar Award, 2024 – University of Arizona
Recent Graduate Award – Northern Arizona University
Research Interests
·?????? Application of linguistic means in the expression of emotions in a literary text.
·?????? Investigation of an author’s personality in the language they employ.
Soft Skills
·?????? A strong team player in group research.
·?????? Facilitator of communications.
·?????? Detail- and results-oriented.
TOP 10 Skills in Demand for 2025
Hopefully, after reading this publication you have become more confident in composing your CV. Please share your troubles in the commentary section below, and let's resolve them together. As a bonus, here you are a top-10 list of the most required soft skills in 2025:
·?????? Analytical skills and innovation
·?????? Originality and initiative
·?????? Stress tolerance and resilience
·?????? Complex problem-solving and reasoning
·?????? Social influence and leadership
·?????? Building relationships
·?????? Adapting to a changing world
·?????? Agile thinking
·?????? Crafting an inspiring vision