Is it time to update your CV? Read the helpful guide that our expert consultants have put together below!
1.Revamp the layout
If you’ve neglected your CV for a while, it’s worth checking the layout to make sure it still makes sense and flows clearly. We recommend the following:
Professional summary - this small section acts as an introduction to you as a professional/offers a snapshot of your experience (find more about this below).
Work experience - bullet point your last 5 roles (max) and give a brief description of what each job entailed. Rather than focus on your responsibilities, point out your accomplishments.
Education and qualifications - provide a list of your education history, starting with the most recent.
Additional - this section of your CV allows you to show off your additional skills and experience such as charity work, hobbies (where relevant) and awards. Keep it short and sweet, but put a little bit of thought into it as it’s a great opportunity to give the hiring manager a glimpse of your personality.
Skills section (optional) - depending on your line of work, this section may or may not be relevant. If you do choose to include it, make sure you don’t just select empty verbs. It’s a good idea to mirror the language used in the job description here. This section usually looks best on the left hand side of the first page.
2.Personalise, personalise, personalise
Start your CV with a professional summary which outlines your work experience and what kind of role you’re looking for next. Keep it to max three sentences - your hiring manager wants a snippet, not a novel. Showcase your skills, and only include those that either mirror the job description or make you stand out as unique. For example, if you are well-versed in a certain software which is more of a nice to have than a role requirement - point it out! This will give you a competitive edge over other candidates. Most importantly, highlight your passion for the role and convince the recruiter why it simply makes sense to give the job to you.
3.Make sure your experience is up-to-date
We know it’s obvious, but how many times have you gone to apply for a job, only to realise you haven’t updated your CV since landing your current role? If you’re someone who is super organised, then you could keep note of each of your accomplishments at work so that when you sit down to edit your CV, you have all of your content ready to go. A project manager, for instance, may wish to highlight a time when they successfully reduced development costs or saved the business time by implementing X, Y, & Z.
Now you’re ready to give your CV a glow-up for 2023! We wish you the best of luck in your applications. If you need help job hunting, then get in touch with the Pillar team via info@wearepillar.com or call us on 0203 856 4048.