Job Search Advice
How to improve your CV
By TalentOcean
A CV or Curriculum Vitae is a job seeker's very first contact with a prospective employer, yet so many people make the same mistakes in compiling these critically important documents.
A CV is similar to a marketing tool: a brochure that highlights the benefits of using a particular service, and that service being your time and skill. Look at the CV from your prospective employer's point of view. Would you stand out against the competition? And would the recruiter want to take it further and invite you for an interview? You have to ask yourself these questions when drawing up a CV.
Key points to consider are:
Has my CV been tailored to reflect the skills and requirements needed for the job I'm applying for?
A common mistake is for people to draw up a generic CV and change only the cover letter. Nothing could be more harmful to your chances to get an interview. Since each job is specific and has special requirements, there is no way a generic CV can match all the jobs universally. It is important to have a tailor-made CV for each job you are applying for. In order to do this you should have researched well into the company's background as well as identified your best personal traits and qualifications which match with the prescribed job requirements. It is also important to have your CV continuously upgraded to include each and every aspect of your professional and personal (relevant) growth. You should, for best results, have a master CV which can be changed at the drop of a hat to fit any job requirement.
Has my CV been professionally laid out to improve its readability and to give a good impression?
If possible, always type your CV. It is imperative that you include a covering letter, a heading or title page with your personal information (including language proficiency), your career objectives, a summary of your work experience and education or training, any special skills, achievements and awards, your hobbies and interests to show that you are a well-rounded person and any other supporting information such as certificates and references. Create lots of white space by using wide margins, short paragraphs and double spacing between paragraphs and after headings. Paragraphs are great in your profile section, but should not be used throughout your CV. Use bullets or numbers to create a more readable CV. Try using a font that is easy to read like Tahoma or Ariel (12 or 11pt). Always keep in mind that the recruiter normally scans through hundreds of CVs and should be able to identify the main points within 30 seconds.
Is my CV too long or too crammed?
Even though the shorter CV is preferred, you shouldn't cram the information to fit on one or two pages. You need a lot of white space and if your experience and qualifications necessitates more space then use another page. Many job hunters have far too long CVs because they repeat tasks and accomplishments for every job they've done. You can shorten your CV by eliminating duplicate entries. Avoid having a full page, followed by a quarter page of information. In this case you should try to condense the content to fit on one page. You can do this by setting the margins and by using a smaller font, but not smaller than 11.
