The New Year brings new opportunities – like exciting new jobs! But no one wants to be stuck inside on a beautiful sunny day, updating their CV and cover letter. That’s why now is the perfect time to spring clean your CV, before the holiday season is in full swing.
Amidst a wobbly economy and rising unemployment rates, the job market is really competitive right now, which is why spending time getting your CV in order is a valuable investment, and will make all the difference in a sea of applications. Trust me, I look at CVs all day, every day, so I know what makes the good one stand out!
So here’s my quick guide to sprucing up your CV, starting with my recommendations for content, and then moving on to how your CV should look.
Content Matters: Crafting a Strong Career Story
Tailor Your CV
I know it sounds like a lot of work, but my first piece of advice is to tailor your CV for each role you’re applying for, or at minimum, personalise it for each industry sector, i.e. one CV for contact centre roles, a different CV for general customer service.
Begin by reading (and rereading!) the job advert and position description for key intel on what the employer is looking for. It may seem simple, but you’d be surprised how many CVs I see where it’s immediately clear that they haven’t even read the job ad!
Once you fully understand what the employer is looking for, identify where in your career history you’ve had relevant experience, and make sure your CV illustrates this match. Include industry-specific terms if you can; a few subtle tweaks to language can highlight exactly why you’re perfect for the job. And needless to say (hopefully), keep it truthful.
Bonus tip – make sure you address the correct employer in your cover letter!
Include Accurate Dates
Take it from a recruiter, it’s really important to be precise with dates, including both the month and year for each role. For example, rather than ‘2023-2024,’ use ‘May 2023 – March 2024’.
This clarity helps anyone scanning your resume to quickly understand your career progression, and avoids any ambiguity around the duration of roles. It’s fine to have had a career break, time off for family responsibilities, or a gap year for travel, but just make sure your CV clearly shows this.
Showcase Key Responsibilities and Achievements
Under each role you include, highlight the primary responsibilities and any notable accomplishments. Keep it short, snappy, and easy to read. Specific examples are more powerful than general statements.
Avoid Empty Buzzwords
Phrases like ‘team player’ and ‘hardworking’ have become so common they’re almost meaningless. Instead, you should describe actual achievements and quantify them if possible, like “led a team of 3” or “achieved a 20% increase in sales.” Obviously, make sure they’re as relevant possible to the role and company you’re applying for!
Proofread Thoroughly
Unfortunately, any spelling and grammar mistakes can make your application appear rushed and sloppy. I won’t say they’re a deal breaker, but it certainly doesn’t look great if your CV is full of errors, especially when compared with competing, typo-free job seekers.
Take the time to proofread thoroughly. If spelling isn’t your strong suit, call in some favours and ask your friends and family to have a quick read too, to pick up anything you’ve missed.
Leverage ChatGPT for Final Touches
You can also use AI tools like ChatGPT to do those grammatical checks, or even polish your phrasing. While it’s tempting to rely on AI for quick answers, remember that hiring managers want to see your own voice come through, and with the number of CVs we see, we can easily tell which ones are written by AI!
By all means, use AI for support, but keep it personal. You might also like to read our recent blog on the pros and cons of using AI for Cover Letters.
Look, Feel, & Design: Making Your CV Stand Out
Legibility is Your Key Goal
Your CV’s primary purpose is to be easy to read, clearly communicating why you’re a great candidate. Those fancy online templates are very tempting, but they can make formatting a nightmare, and I’ve seen many versions where a complicated table has chopped off important details.
Similarly, avoid pictures, logos, and unnecessary embellishments that detract from the key information.
Use Simple, Consistent Formatting
I recommend choosing a clean design with standard fonts, consistent headings, and well-spaced sections. Simple is good!
Avoid vibrant colours or overly designed layouts – a professional, minimal look is usually best, though sometimes it depends on the role. For example, if you’re applying for a really creative marketing role, then a unique approach might help.
Use Bullet Points to Keep it Concise
Bullet points make key responsibilities and achievements easy to scan. Rather than long paragraphs, keep your content concise and to the point. Job seekers often ask what the ‘perfect’ length of a CV is, and while there’s no hard and fast rule, as a guideline, you should be able to stick within two or three pages and bullet points will help you achieve this.
Avoid Repetition
Each section should add new information, rather than restate the same skills or responsibilities. If you have had multiple jobs with similar or identical daily tasks, find a way to reference this without doubling up. This way, hiring managers can see your depth of experience without reading the same details twice.
Name Your File Thoughtfully
Before that big moment when you hit send, be sure to rename your file with your name and the job title e.g., “SamTaylor_MarketingCV 2024”. This shows attention to detail and makes it easier for recruiters to keep track of your application.
Keep your reader in mind
In summary, remember your CV is for the hiring manager or recruiter, and you want to make it easy for this audience to see why you’re an ideal candidate. Make your experience, skills, and achievements clear and accessible so they can quickly see why you’re the perfect fit. Use a clean, simple professional design, to make this great content easy to read and digest. Proof read everything, several times over! With a few of these thoughtful tweaks, you can step confidently into the new year, ready to make a lasting impression and win that new job.
Good luck in your job hunt!
