It is your first chance you get to make a good impression, so why
not take a few moments to ensure your CV is in top condition? Here are
10 things to watch out for.
Make
it clear, factual and concise. Unless you are applying for a
graphic design job, keep it a clean simple layout, clear font and
crisp white background.
Unless
you're Stephen Hawking or Jacqui Smith, keep it to two pages
maximum. Page number with your name reference on each page.
Include
an overview statement of no more than three lines highlighting
your unique attributes, key strengths and potential contribution.
Beware of sounding like Superman/woman, it's arrogant and
unconvincing.
Use
active verbs like 'saved, installed, established, planned,
initiated'.
Highlight
specific achievements or contribution you have made. For example,
'Reorganised the document filing system to save the team one day
per week through ease of retrieval.' Or 'Improved accuracy on
order inputting from 90% to 99%, saving time and making customers
happier.' 'Wrote and instigated marketing plan which doubled
incoming enquiries.'
There
are various possible layouts but best to use a logical order:
overview statement, work and achievements - from current
backwards, education, training and qualifications, hobbies, then
references.
Make
sure all the details are accurate, and that you've briefly
explained any gaps.
List
all of your useful business skills (software, languages) but only
the hobbies that are meaningful - the ones you can talk about.
Knitting, anyone?
Check
for spelling mistakes. Ask a reliable friend or colleague to
proofread for you.
Write
a short, covering letter or email summarising which parts of your
experience make you ideal for the job. This is the icing on the
cake.
PS!
Change that outrageous email address to something more appropriate for
business than for the chat room. Missjuicylips@hotmail may well get
noticed but quite likely for the wrong opportunities.
