Latest free CV templates : Jan 7th 2019 – Jan 13th 2019

This week we released just two new CV templates. But both were absolutely beautiful and we’ve had lots of fantastic feedback already! We can already see a little buzz on the site as traffic numbers start to pick back up following Christmas and the New Year. People are already starting to think about their plans in the months ahead.

Planning to get a new job is one of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions. A recent survey of 2,000 people showed that 16% had a new role in their sights. But why do so many of us decide a change of direction is in order? There could be quite a few reasons: first, time off with friends and family makes us realise what’s important in life. Second, after enjoying some much needed downtime, returning to a job we dislike can be the last straw. Whatever your reasons, it’s natural to hope for a better future. Particularly when the previous year has been a tough one. We hope our ever-growing collection of free CV templates will help you take a step towards your new goals.

Click on a heading to view the CV template page.

08.01.2019 : Office Manager CV template

Office manager CV template

It’s hard to get a true sense of just how lovely this clean, fresh CV template is until you take a look. We’ve created an office manager theme by using ‘tabs’ akin to filing tabs for the sub headings, and we’ve also spread your information over two pages. On the second page, we’ve used a gorgeous icon set to create the ‘hobbies’ section. Don’t worry, it’s free and you can adjust the icons to reflect your own interests.

07.01.2019 : Hospitality CV template

Hospitality CV template

This charming CV template is presented in the style of a menu card, with some gorgeous flourishes adding interest to your information. Set over two pages, the template uses the lovely crisp Century Gothic font combined with some superb graphics for an eye-catching design that’s sure to get the right attention.

You can view our full free CV template collection here.

How to make the most of your new free CV template

Choosing one of our fantastic CV templates is only half the work. The other half is writing a fantastic CV to impress any employer. Here are three great tips to get you one step closer to a job interview…

Focus on the job description

The most common approach to CV writing is to list as many achievements, previous jobs, qualifications and skills as possible. This is sure to impress the employer, right? Wrong!

This is one of the worst approaches you can take, and will likely result in rejection. If you really want to impress you need to focus upon the job description. But why is that important?

In an ideal world the hiring manager wants to find someone who can relate to the role. Maybe they’ve had similar work experience, or maybe they’ve even done the exact same job before. In any case, the employer wants to find someone who can already do the job with little training, or an individual whom has the potential to shine.

Whichever category you fall into doesn’t matter, because what really counts is how you can demonstrate your understanding of the role. In addition, your CV needs to connect the dots and show the employer how your current credentials match up to the job description.

There is no point in listing a huge amount of skills if they don’t relate to the role. Your CV should always be tailored and customised specifically for the job, the company and even the industry. This is why the job description is so important, as it will allow you to shape your entire application and use the right words and skills to clearly indicate how relevant you are to the company.

There is also something else you can extract from the job advert, and that’s keywords…

Match the keywords

The job description and the entire job advert itself will hold many of the important keywords you need to use in your own CV. It’s important to let the company know you are both on the same page. Using similar jargon and matching keywords will ensure this happens.

The hiring manager will easily be able to spot someone who understands the business when reading through the many applications they receive. But even if you are quite new to the industry you can quickly impress any employer by using the correct terms.

Even the simplest of words can be matched. For example, why not use the same job titles if the roles were almost identical. If you were the manager of a particular department but they happen to give you a quirky job title, then why not alter this on your CV so it matches. Obviously we don’t promote fabricating job titles and changing them completely, but instead you can look to use the same jargon. Some company’s like to use ‘Customer Excellence’ instead of ‘Customer Service’ – but they mean the same.

You can also apply this approach when writing your skills section. If you hold a skill the company has requested, then make sure you match how they’ve written it – simple, but very effective!

Don’t make a mistake

We cannot stress enough how important it is that you write a flawless CV. Every single word, sentence and paragraph has to be written perfectly. But making a spelling or grammatical mistake is just the tip of the iceberg.

An error in the presentation of your CV can also greatly affect your chances of getting an interview. Most employers will instantly reject a CV no matter how great the credentials are if there is a spelling mistake. The same goes for an error with your presentation. An alignment issue or forgetting to put a heading in bold will also count against you.

Our advice would be to always have your CV checked by at least one other person before you apply. As a minimum you want them to search for any errors – both with your content and presentation. If you are also fortunate enough to find someone who has experience in hiring, you could also ask them for further advice.

Leave a comment