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Three fantastic tips on how to write a great CV
Writing a great CV is going to give you the best possible chance of gaining an interview. You should never underestimate how much work and focus should go into the creation of the Curriculum Vitae.
To help you gain that all important interview, we’ve narrowed things down to what we believe as the three most important aspects of writing a professional CV.
And with that introduction, let’s get straight too it…
Plan ahead
Always make sure you give yourself enough time to write your CV. Never leave yourself in the position of having to rush one through to an employer if you can avoid it. Most people keep a copy of their CV and keep updating it over the years every time they change jobs. This is fine, to a point. But it will fail to address a company’s specific needs if you keep the same CV over the years.
If you have ample time to plan and write your CV, then you are in a better position. This will give you time to research the company or company’s you’re applying too. With a better understanding of how they function, you can write a much better CV.
Have you read the company’s website?
Do you know who their customers are?
How much revenue do they bring in each year?
Where are they located?
Are they a franchise?
Is there scope for promotion?
What does the job require of an employee?
These are all relevant questions, and must be answered before you write a CV.
Write your CV for the company
You should look to do just more than a simple edit each time you move jobs. If you are applying for a new position you should tailor your entire application to the company and the role. This includes every single section of your CV, and indeed the cover letter.
Do I really need to write a cover letter for my CV in 2019?
With each application you should study the job advert closely and tailor your CV to the requirements. That way you ensure your CV stays fresh and up to date, and ensures your application stays focused and on point.
Top tip: A generic CV that you keep over the years is going to look old, tired and outdated very quickly. With more and more CV templates popping up on the internet to choose from, creativity is at an all time high when it comes to the CV. Don’t miss out, and choose to download one of our free CV templates today. Make your application professional and creative, and don’t try and go it alone.
Avoid spelling/grammatical errors
Spelling errors are still the biggest issue the hiring manager has to deal with when reviewing applications. You can guarantee that with every ten CVs passed to the manager that there is at least one spelling or grammatical error to be found. It is a huge frustration to the employer, and for obvious reasons. It shows a lack of care and effort, and could leave the manager thinking that you will show the same attention to detail if you got the job.
A review of 20,000 CVs submitted online found that nine in ten of them had misspelled words, with only 1,134 fault free.
The best way to ensure your CV is error free is to ask a friend if they can check it for you. Ideally you want to find someone who is or has been a manager, and has extensive experience reading CVs, interviewing and hiring. They may also be willing to offer you some constructive criticism on your entire application – cover letter included.
Be ready to take it on the chin, and open your ears. You need to listen to the advice that’s being given. Especially it is from a trusted and professional source. Don’t be stubborn and assume you are the best CV writer on the planet. Instead, take any advice given onboard and look to make changes if necessary. Those changes could just put you ahead of the competition and get you an interview!
