Template details:
Highlight CV template
We created our brand new ‘Highlight CV’ template for those looking for a fresh, light template that meets a whole range of careers. With its light accents, it is eye catching enough to stand out from a pile of CVs. However, without drawing attention away from your key information.
Here are a few tips for customising your new Highlight Word CV template:
- Use the section at the very top to summarise you, your best achievements and what you are looking for. For example, you might say “Web designer with 10 years of experience and over 500 successfully completed projects. I am looking for an in-house position building and/or maintaining sites on a variety of platforms”.
- List your experience with the most recent first – even if you are still working at this position. Prospective employers won’t contact your current employer without your permission, and you don’t have to list them as a reference on your CV. You can say ‘references available on request’.
- If you’ve got a degree or professional qualification, employers won’t expect you to list absolutely all of your qualifications. For example, you won’t need to include your GCSEs. If you don’t have many qualifications, listing your GCSEs and other non-degree level qualifications is advisable.
- When you list your skills, it can help employers if you rank your ability at the same time. For example, you could list each programming language you are familiar with and rank your capability as basic, intermediate or advanced.
- The blue box is for you to highlight your best achievement – this is why we’ve called this CV the ‘Highlight’ CV template! If you can’t think of a specific achievement, you could also use a quote from one of your references. Or, use it to draw your would-be employer’s attention to a key fact that may influence their decision to hire you.
We hope you enjoy customising your new CV template and we welcome your feedback as always!
NB: This CV template was updated 8th September 2018
Don’t forget to take these things to the interview
If your amazing credentials get you through to the interview stage, here’s what you need to take with you:
Notepad and pen
If you thought that you’d only need to take yourself into the interview – then you’d be wrong. Taking in a notepad and paper shows the employer that you are taking it seriously. Anything important that you need to remember during the interview can be jotted down. Don’t rely on your own memory as it can be easy to forget things, especially when you’re nervous.
Copies of your CV
Having at least three spare copies of your CV will help both you and the employer. Firstly, the interviewer may forget to bring a copy into the room, or could have a huge pile to search through. Handing them a copy shows you are on the ball and can take the initiative. It will not fail to impress the manager!
Also, it will help you to answer questions about your work history if you are able to glance at your CV. The interviewer will not mind or expect you to memorise every aspect of it. But just try to remember not to stare it your CV the whole time. Make sure you look the manager in the eye and engage throughout.
A list of questions
Jot down a list of questions you’d like to ask on your notepad. Ideally you should be asking about the role and the company. Try to stay clear of asking questions about salary and benefits, as this could misrepresent your intentions.
You want to convey the message that you are interested in the role – which hopefully you are. A question about salary diverts their attention away from that, and may not go down so well. However, questions about the working hours, the team or department, and anything else about the role will help your cause.
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