CV tips to enhance your job search
Sending out CV’s can be daunting – you’re basically trying to sell yourself on paper. It can be intimidating to try and convey all your experience and personal merits whilst trying to work out what the employer is looking for. Applying for jobs in certain sectors obviously needs to be approached with subtle differences, but there are a few universal CV tips that every job seeker can follow.
Decide on headings or sections
Generally, they are as follows;
- Personal Details
- Opening statement
- Employment History and Work Experience
- Education and Training
- Achievements
- Interests
- References
Choose your words carefully
You want your CV to really portray you as a person, so pick your words according to their relevance and accuracy. You want to stand out, so don’t use too many generic phrases like ‘team player’ or ‘enthusiastic’. Sometimes these are unavoidable, just don’t load your CV with them.
Keep It Simple
Using fancy fonts, colours or layouts will ultimately put the employer off. If it’s a creative job then there is some leniency with this rule, but generally, keep your CV looking smart, simple, and easy to read.
Spell and grammar check
Any mistakes are likely to send your application to the bottom of the pile, if not the bin. Check and double check everything you’ve written, and edit as necessary.
Keep on top of updating it
Review your CV often and add any work experience, awards, qualifications or training that you acquire. This keeps your CV at the top of it’s game, and it’s always ready to send off when you see a job you’d love.
