You have applied for thousands of jobs online and handed your CV into thousands of stores, but yet there is no luck in finding a job. It is hard my friend; the world of work is tough and very competitive. There are thousands of students living in Canterbury, all applying for the same jobs, but what makes your CV different from others? How can you illustrate your CV in a way that will make employers pick you? From experience, I can portray four ways to polish your CV that may possibly guarantee you a job interview.
1. Simplicity is key
The significance of keeping your CV simple is important because employers nowadays look for CV’s that are easy to read. Having a CV that is covered with paragraphs and paragraphs about yourself, your experiences and achievements can easily convey a boring CV, thus ensure that you keep your CV to a maximum of two pages long. Be clear and precise with the information that you are going to include. In addition, have a simple font style like Arial or Times (although Times, in my opinion, looks a little old fashioned). And ensure that the layout is not complicated but make it look appealing. Include bullet points or to ensure that your CV is in line, include tables when you write about your education or work experience. By keeping it simple but interesting, an employer will most probably spend more time scanning through your CV than someone whose CV is full of paragraphs.
2. Lying is careless
It is important to be realistic when writing your CV. It is tempting to add little lies to boost your CV and make it look more appealing but this can only result to being careless. If you have written that you can play a guitar or know how to horse ride, imagine being invited to an interview where the employer has similar interests and questions your hobbies. And you have no knowledge about guitars or horse riding. Not only will this be embarrassing but it illustrates to an employer that you’re dishonest. Employers check references and probably do a little more research about you, so always be honest and do not create lies that can possibly impact the chance of you of getting a job.
3. Add a touch of personality
It is vital to add your education, work experience and any achievements you have gained through life. But do not end it there. A CV that includes skills and hobbies portrays to an
employer an interesting side of you. The employer may have similar interests or hobbies to you which then, in an interview, will give you an advantage as you will have a better connection with the employer. Your priority should focus on your education, experiences and achievements but adding a touch of personality will give the employer a better understanding of yourself. You can also include, at the beginning of your CV, a couple of sentences that illustrate your objectives (like a small profile). This is a great way to start your CV; it will give employers a little preview of what you really want to achieve.
4. Keep it professional
Lastly, keep your CV professional, no matter where you are applying; whether it is a sandwich shop or a law firm, maintaining a professional CV will represent to an employer your independence and your confidence. Do not include fancy borders or fancy font styles, keep it simple and professional. Most employers will only take a couple of minutes to scan through your CV and they will look for anything that interests them. Therefore, it is important to maintain a level of professionalism.
It took me over four to five months to find my first job. I remember handing my CV in stores and applying to thousands of jobs online. It is difficult and tough but remember to never give up. It takes a lot of time and effort to write a good CV; sometimes there is so much to write, your CV can extend to over two pages. It is important to select only the relevant and most important information. You need to have self-confidence because a two page document will literally represent you to an employer before you are invited to an interview where they will meet you in person. What you include in your CV will determine whether you will receive a job interview. Remember to keep it simple, clear and professional!