I get asked this question a lot as I have the opportunity to see loads of CVs. Over of the years I have seen hundreds. It’s always exciting to receive a CV and meet that person and find out more about them and why they are looking for a new opportunity, what their dreams and aspirations are and how I can help them get there. When I do it’s such a great feeling.
In my opinion CVs are still very relevant and important today in helping you navigate to your next opportunity and find the right role. We now have tools like LinkedIn which is your virtual CV posted online for all to see. However, people still underestimate just how important it is to put together a succinct CV that reflects your brand, what you’re about, what you can bring to an organisation, and your capability, skills and experience.
Just recently I met with someone that had come back from overseas with some fantastic experience and exposure in their field, but the CV that they presented didn’t even come close to showcasing what they had achieved and how good they actually are, and this really blew me away. When I spoke to the person on the phone and they told me about themselves, what they had accomplished was not articulated in their CV to give the reader a good idea on their level of capability. This is so critical because it can stop you from getting your dream job. When we met and discussed what roles they wanted I knew straight away that their CV completely under sold them and was actually putting them into a position where it could potentially hurt their salary expectations or even worse – not being considered for an interview. At Hello Monday we don’t embellish or edit our candidates’ CVs. We give them to our clients as they are because it’s the most ethical thing to do and also, we want our clients to see how the CV is presented.
Some useful CV Tips;
- Your CV should at least be three pages.
- Structured it so that it is easy to follow, with your most recent job, relevant skills, background and experience to the role at the front, so that the person reading your CV doesn’t have to hunt for that information.
- You have to remember; recruiters and decision makers see a lot of CVs everyday so make it easy for them.
- Even if you’ve had multiple roles and years of experience you can condense all these and add in the most relevant aspects of these roles fit within 3 pages.
- The one thing I see missing from almost 80% of CVs is a separate section for achievements. You have to blow your own horn because no one else will! Highlight the achievements in previous roles and ones that may be relevant to the role you are applying for. The person reading your CV wants to know if you are capable of stepping into the role or perhaps another opportunity that hasn’t been advertised yet.
- Use a font that is easy to read, check your grammar and spelling, get the basics right.
- Tailor your CV to the role. From a recruiter perspective, there is nothing more off-putting than getting a CV that is designed for another role or company. It shows you haven’t taken care.
- Put down your hobbies and interests. These are always good conversation starters and shows you have a life outside of work.
- If the advert asks for a cover letter, then attach one. It shows that you follow instructions.
I mentioned LinkedIn above – make sure that your CV is also aligned to your LinkedIn profile because good recruiters do check.
Having a well-structured CV that’s easy to read and follow is your first step to getting a phone call which can land you a face to face interview.
Good luck for 2019 if you’re on the job hunt and please make sure you take time and care in putting together your CV for your next role.
Cheers,
Will Allan
Founder + Director