Many people are starting the New Year with hope of finding their dream job. Of course, most job applications begin with the crafting of a CV or resume. Today's guest blog is a short masterclass on how to put together an Impressive CV by guest author Tracey Whitmore:
Top Tips for an Impressive CV:
• A CV should be a well-written, concise document that is no longer than two pages. Three pages are acceptable for more technical CVs or those with very long careers.
• A CV should be well-presented and laid out, with lots of white space. As many CVs today are scanned, avoid using complex formatting such shading, colour, tables, boxes and fancy fonts.
• Keep paragraphs and sentences concise. Paragraphs should be no longer than four lines and sentences no longer than 15 words.
• Your CV needs to be honest and factual.
• Sell yourself and be positive throughout.
• Information must be presented in reverse chronological order (most recent first).
• No misspellings or grammatical errors.
• Avoid repetition as it reduces the impact of your CV.
Avoid including unnecessary information such as:
• Titles and headings such as ‘Curriculum Vitae’ or ‘Resume’ as it should be obvious what the document is.
• Reason for leaving - this will be covered in the interview.
• Salary details - this can take you out of contention before you have begun.
• Photographs - unless it is applicable to the type of work you are involved in e.g. modelling.
• Do not introduce any negativity or weaknesses - never tell readers what you have not got or what you have not had the opportunity to do yet.
• Jargon and Acronyms - ensure that your CV appeals to as many people as possible.
• References - you can state that they are available on request, but it is considered by most to be inappropriate and unprofessional to include. These will be taken up at offer stage
• Personal Details such as Marital Status, Religion, Nationality, Children etc. - this has no bearing on your ability to do the job.
You only get one chance to make a first impression. Make sure it is an IMPRESSIVE CV!
This information has been provided by Impressive CVs. For more information on CVs, to request a FREE CV Appraisal, or to have your CV professionally prepared, visit: www.impressivecvs.com.
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