9 Simple Steps To A Perfect CV
1. Professional LookFirst impressions count. Creating a CV with a professional look to it can in itself be enough to secure you an interview over other candidates who are similarly qualified.
2. Relevant Information
Only include information which is relevant to the job you are applying for. Your Curriculum should normally be contained within two typed A4 pages, and if the potential employer turns to a third page – unless specifically requested – then they will expect it to be well worth while!
3. Clear and Simple Layout
Keep your CV clear and uncluttered. You need to follow a logical layout which generally adheres to the basic framework which nearly all Curriculum Vitae follow. This will depend on the type of job for which you are applying, and only you can be the judge of that. It is rare, however, for an employer to appreciate a very different looking curriculum format. True, it will stand out, but possibly for all the wrong reasons.
4. Eliminate Gaps
Try to ensure that there are no 'suspicious' gaps in your background. If you were travelling the world or 'between jobs', be honest and say so. If you fabricate your employment history you are very likely to be found out.
5. Previous Jobs Relations
It is a good idea to write details of your previous employers, and their place of business, in bold. If you are applying for employment within the same or a similar industry then it is quite likely that a potential employer will have heard of other businesses in the same field, and this can be to your advantage. At the very least it will catch their attention.
6. Positive CV
Be positive. Do not allow any negativity whatsoever to impinge on your CV. There is no need to put your reasons for leaving previous employment, and certainly never impart negative information about any previous employer. Be upbeat rather than downbeat.
7. Interests and Hobbies
Your leisure interests section should be brief, and you should try only to include hobbies which are relevant to the job you are applying for.
8. Targeted CV
Tailor your Curriculum Vitae to each job application. A 'standardized' CV will be obvious to a prospective employer.
9. CV Assistance
Take some independent curriculum writing advice. It is a truism that two pairs of eyes are better than one, and this could not be more apt when it comes to writing a CV. There is a great deal of sloppy grammar and spelling all around us in this internet age where everyone can be their own publisher, with an over-reliance on computerized spell checkers. This does not do the job adequately, and you really need independent curriculum advice from a resource such as "Fix my CV" to ensure that there are absolutely no errors in your CV. An interview could depend on it.
#aperfectcv #simplescvsteps #fixmycv #curriculumvitae