Your CV is often the first impression that potential employers have of you, and it can make or break your chances of landing your dream job. With so much competition in the job market, it’s crucial to have a CV that stands out from the crowd. In this blog post, I provide five essential tips to improve your CV and increase your chances of catching the attention of potential employers. It builds on my decade of experience landing competitive jobs, educational programmes, and scholarships.
From mastering the basics to adapting it to your target, I cover everything you need to know to make a lasting impression. I understand that crafting a CV can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a recent graduate looking for your first job or an experienced professional looking to take your career to the next level, these tips will help you create a standout CV that showcases your skills and experiences in the best possible light.
So, let’s dive in and take your CV to the next level!
Master the Basics
- Include contact details: The top of your CV should include your contact details: full name, e-mail address, phone number, and postal address when necessary. Depending on the industry you’re in, you may not want to include a photograph of yourself. For the remaining sections of your CV, use reverse chronological order.
- Leave space: As we focus on covering the maximum amount of information on a small piece of paper, we often forget to leave space. However, it’s extremely important to have a breathy CV to facilitate your reader’s experience. Use maximum two different fonts, keep wide margins and spacing, and text size should be above 11. Use bold and italic as well as ‘—’ and ‘•’ to differentiate between information.
- Avoid acronyms and abbreviations: Unless they are globally recognised (e.g. UN, EU), do not use acronyms and abbreviations as you risk not communicating important information to your potential employer.
Format According to Your Industry
It’s important to format your CV according to your industry because different industries have different expectations and standards, and a well-formatted CV can make a good impression on employers. For example, an academic CV should focus on research and publications, while a professional CV should emphasise work experience and skills. Additionally, a creative industry may appreciate a personalised and visually appealing CV, while a more traditional industry may prefer a standardised and professional-looking format.
- Re-organise categories based on what’s most important: If you are applying for a job, you should put your professional experience first. If you are applying for a scholarship, make sure to include a section on service and leadership. If you are applying for an editorial position, highlight relevant experience within the first page.
- Keep it short: A professional CV should be maximum one page, whilst academic CVs are often up to four pages. In any case, check the requirements of your organisation and take out anything that does not clearly contribute to your industry. For each element, ask yourself: how does this support my application? If it’s not clear, reformulate or take it out.
- Make a professional impression: Needless to say that you should check for typos, right? Besides the obvious, make sure that your CV has a professional finished look by asking friends in your industry to give you feedback. It should not contain personal information; whilst the fact that you’ve collected stamps since your earliest age or that you’ve attended 15 concerts in the past year might be impressive to you, it will distract your potential employer from the skills and experience that do matter.
Adapt it to Your Target
Adapting your CV to the target job opening or organisation you want to work at is crucial to highlight your relevant skills and experiences, and to demonstrate how you can contribute to their specific needs. This can increase your chances of getting noticed and ultimately getting the job. You want to frame and present your set of skills and experiences specifically to your target. In that sense, you should not have one CV but multiple unique versions of it.
- Do an in-depth research of their website: What’s their mission? What are their core values? Make sure to include some of the company’s keywords on your CV (don’t overdo it though, it needs to look genuine and not like you’re copy-pasting their content!).
- Look into current staff and what their CV looks like: What do you have in common? What is the company missing? What is your value added? There is no right or wrong approach, but give some thought to how you see yourself fit in the company and reflect that in your CV by highlighting relevant skills and experience. You can also reach out to a current employee to obtain more information about the company culture and procedures.
- Look into recent development: What is the organisation/company focusing on lately? Read recent articles and news on their website and emphasise those skills or areas of expertise which they seek.
Write About Your Accomplishments
- Use a consistent structure: For each item on your résumé, you have to have 2-5 bullet points. Those should present your key contribution(s) or biggest achievement, the relevant skills you acquired or knowledge you gained, as well as the soft skills (e.g. teamwork) that you developed along the way.
- Use simple and clear language: Construct your bullet points with no subject, with emphasis on verbs and results (e.g. produced 18 social media reports showcasing average monthly reach of 50,000). When possible, use quantifiable output.
- Use power words: Language matters. Make sure to use words that reflect the excellence you want to convey. Avoid using generic words such as “did” and opt instead for “coordinated”, “designed”, or other more specific verbs (pssst… find a list of powerful words here). You should also use job-related keywords and just enough jargon that shows your knowledge of the industry.
Don’t be Afraid to Sell Yourself, but Remain Humble
Perhaps the hardest part of writing a CV is not over-selling oneself. It’s important to frame your experience and education in the best way possible, but it’s also crucial to not appear arrogant. Instead, you should focus on showing your potential for continuous growth and willingness to learn.
- Find the right balance between exception and humanity: At the end of the day, people hire people they want to work with. If you look like a presumptuous candidate from the get-go, chances are your potential employer won’t be thrilled. You can channel your personality through the soft skills you choose to highlight (e.g. compassion, empathy, creativity) as well as civic engagement or volunteering experience.
- Make a memorable entrance: Especially if your CV is likely to end up amongst a pile of great candidates, make sure it stands out. You can do so by using a strategic font or colour for your name, or by writing a powerful introduction that represents you and your goals.
- Demonstrate growth and commitment: Whenever possible, highlight what you have learned from rather than what you brought in your previous experience. This demonstrates a growth mindset, which is just as valuable as the skills and knowledge you have developed. In addition, if you can, show your commitment (to causes or organisation) by showcasing long-term engagements. Employers value loyalty.
Conclusion
In conclusion, crafting a standout CV requires attention to detail and a willingness to adapt to your industry and target. By mastering the basics, formatting according to your industry, adapting it to your target, writing about your accomplishments, and striking the right balance between confidence and humility, you can create a CV that sets you apart from the crowd. With these tips to improve your CV, you’ll be well on your way to landing your dream job. Best of luck! 🔥
Written by Sophie L. Vériter
My Tools for Growth
Discover many articles like this one on my Growth Toolkit, a collection of resources to start or enhance your personal and professional growth journey whilst keeping your wellness in check, boosting confidence and critical thinking, as well as continuously expanding your skills and knowledge.
Hi! I’m Sophie
I am a social scientist and world explorer. In my work, I analyse the evolving meaning of security. I enjoy traveling, yoga, and electronic music in my free time. I consider myself an enthusiastic feminist and self-care advocate.
