As many of us know, making your journey through the employment market can be an anxiety-inducing experience. For some, the hunt for opportunities and the stress of interviews all while having to grapple with the thought of financial stability can make the whole endeavour near unbearable. However, there is one specific cause for concern that we see time and time again – that piece of paper everyone says ‘has to be perfect’… the curriculum vitae.
It’s understandable, the CV has historically been used in the first phase of the candidate vetting process by employers, which when you think about it, isn’t too difficult to understand the reasoning behind. There simply would not be a way for an employer to meet each and every candidate who applies for a job, especially if it is posted online for the world to see.
The prevailing problem with CVs is the same one we all hear time and time again – how can I represent myself as a person, on just a couple of pieces of paper? It’s a difficult question, with no one answer, but in this month’s edition of Hunterkill’s Tips and Tricks, we’re tackling all your CV scaries with our ultimate guide to writing your CV!
The Beauty’s in the Basics
First things first, when we’re writing out CVs we need to the basics before anything else. Most employers are used to a certain standard, and in many cases, a candidate’s ability to adhere to a template or brief reflects positively on the employment process.
Remember, your CV is effectively your ticket to an interview! It’s the first step towards opportunity, not the end game – so let’s run through some of the basics:
Form
As we mentioned before, we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here – your CV should be simple, concise and contain all the core information your employer needs to know about you.
Length – A CV should ideally fit into two sides of an A4 page, however, this isn’t really a cut and dry rule, and depending on your experience, you should fill the page appropriately. What we’re looking for is conciseness, If you can’t fill both sides without waffling, then don’t.
Style – Just because your CV is a professional document does not mean it has to be completely devoid of style, although, it’s certainly not the place to totally express your creative side. Choose a professional typeface, Calibri is a safe and popular option for a san-serif font, and Helvetica is a little more stylised. Something like Book Antiqua or Bookman Old Style might be more appropriate for a serif typeface.
Relevance – The information that’s included on your CV should be precisely what the employer needs to know – let’s keep in mind that your CV is functional first and foremost. Your ability to make that information engaging will be what sets you apart from other candidates, so what information do we need?
Content
- Personal Information – This should come as a given, however, the number of people who seemingly miss out on their contact information is actually shocking. Your name should be the first thing anyone reading a CV should see – avoid nicknames. Your contact details are also essential, just your mobile telephone number should suffice, and your e-mail.
Does your e-mail address look professional? Perhaps now is the time to create your new work e-mail – this should be your full name, with as little straying away as possible.
- Personal Statement – Sometimes job opportunities will require both a CV, and a separate personal statement. In fact, not all CVs even require the inclusion of a personal statement, however, in order to stand out from other applicants, it’s definitely worthwhile.
Your personal statement should be short and to the point, perhaps only a couple of short paragraphs outlining: who you are, what you can offer and your goals or career aims.
- Education and Qualifications – Here’s where your CV really starts – being able to show off where you were educated, and what qualifications and experiences you gained! Remember, it’s not always about going to the best schools, or even receiving the highest qualifications – including qualifications that show more than simply academia, and mention relevant classes or course modules if necessary.
- Job Experience – Prior job experiences are also really important to employers, and you can definitely make a big difference here. You should mention where you worked, what your position was, how long you worked there and what skills you attained or used during your time.
Remember, that you can include volunteer experience here as well!
- Personal interests and skills – While this is close to being the final section of your CV, don’t this that this section isn’t extremely important. In fact, this is precisely the section that will set you apart from everyone else. You need to remember what constitutes personal interests that an employer will find interesting – for example ‘going to the gym’ or ‘baking’, while they can be interesting are most likely not relevant for your new job! Try and find activities, or re-word your descriptions, to make them more relevant! Do you have a blog or online portfolio you can refer to?
Remember, while you certainly can word things to make them sound a little more exciting or engaging, never lie, as many employers will see if you can prove your skills in an interview situation!
What next?
So you’ve written up your CV, or at least your first draft, the question is – what is the next step? It’s useful to think of your CV as a ‘living document’, in other words, it changes as you change. When new job opportunities arise, try and make changes to make them much more relevant to the position! Make sure to keep it up to date with all relevant qualifications, job experiences etc.
While there is so much more information we can share to help improve your chances in the job market, we like to make sure we have enough time to dive deep! Right now, we need to focus on matching people like you, with the perfect employment solutions for them!
Take a gander at our Jobs Board and some more posts on our blog for opportunities or more employment tips, until next time…
Good Luck!