How to write a CV - Top Tips
Learning to write a CV is one of the best ways to market a very unique product - you!
Your ability to write a CV, will help sell you to a potential employer and give you an
edge against the other candidates trying for the same position. The key to learning
how to write a CV is to do a more compelling job of selling yourself than your
competitors do. Topped off with a well-written cover letter explaining why you are the
right candidate for the job and your CV can open countless doors for you, often into the
organisations of your choice.
Many people do not spend enough time learning how to write a CV, or worse yet they use
generic CVs - the same
CV for every job
they apply for. Recruiters can easily spot generic or slapped-together CVs and often
disregard them. The time you spend learning how to write a CV is worth every minute
because a well-planned CV can attract the attention of a potential employer and get you
the interview you really want.
Tailor Your CV to the Employer
Many people apply to a large number of advertised positions using the same CV for each one.
To improve the chances of your CV being noticed, target it to the potential employer. To
do this, focus on the elements of your background or experience that best match the job
profile. Remember, a potential employer may spend only 20 or 30 seconds to quickly size
up your CV before deciding whether it goes in the "good potential" pile or the
garbage.
Apart from carefully reading the job advertisement, research the company and check out
their website to find out whatever you can about their products, services, hiring policies,
management and employees.
Make a Good First Impression
In love and jobs, first impressions matter... a lot. This is especially true when it comes
to CV writing. Creating a CV that grabs the recruiter’s attention in a positive way
improves your chances of getting that
interview. When learning how to
write a CV keep the following CV writing tips in mind:
- Write a succinct but strong profile that highlights your skills, capabilities,
and achievements.
- Remember to include "work based achievements". We have just conducted
research amongst 1000 employers and "73% of employers have rejected candidates due
to a lack of work-based
achievements on their iProfile/CV"
- Use short, snappy sentences with action verbs (accomplished, headed, drove sales, etc.)
that grab your reader’s attention and portray you as someone who gets things done.
- Save personal and educational details to the end of your iProfile/CV. If you have an
iProfile, it is very easy to move re-order the information - just select the
"Change layout" link.
All the Write Stuff
Accurate and up-to-date content is an essential part of learning how to write a CV.
Deciding on and developing this content should take most of the time you dedicate to the task
Before you start the actual
CV writing, make sure
you have a clear sense of what the recruiters are looking for. Then get organised by
preparing the following information:
- Personal details. Your full contact info: current address, telephone number, and
email.
- Professional profile. Identify your skills, functional expertise, and industry experience.
Research the advertisement and the recruiter and/or company website thoroughly before
writing your profile.
- Objective. A summary of the type of job you are seeking, customised for the specific
job or company to which you are applying.
- Core skills, competencies, and expertise (not already included in your professional
profile). Remember to include your "Work Based Achievements". Use bulleted points
and list these in the order the client would value them.
- Employment summary. Written in reverse chronological order. Indicate the company
name, city, state, dates of employment, and position.
- Educational or other qualifications. Written in reverse chronological order. Include
the degree, major and minor subjects, and institution. Mention any industry-specific
training programs and certifications.
- Other elements. List honours, leadership experience, activities, professional affiliations,
languages known, or anything else that's relevant and unique about you.
Reviewing Your CV
Once you have learnt the basic's with regards how to write CV, always review it
for the following before submitting it to a recruiter or potential employer:
- Accuracy. Make sure the CV is accurate and completely up-to-date. Don't exaggerate
or fib.
- Customisation. Is your CV information customised for the job you are seeking?
- Language and style. Have you used shorter sentences to achieve greater impact in
your CV? Writing long sentences is more challenging and runs the risk of losing
the attention of your audience. Use bulleted lists for skills and achievements.
- Grammar. Ask a friend or colleague with good spelling, grammar, and CV writing skills
to review your CV.
- Don't forget to spell check and proofread your CV more than once! It is essential
it be free of spelling errors and typos. iProfile has introduced a spell check to
ensure you do not fall foul of spelling mistakes.
Alternative to Traditional CV Writing
A large number of UK recruiters and job seekers are turning to the streamlined simplicity
of the iProfile. Why? iProfile was set up to simplify things for both jobseekers
and recruiters by replacing the weakest link in the recruitment process - the traditional
CV.
The iProfile online CV
takes much of the confusion and decision-making out of CV writing by providing a
universal format, adopted by thousands of recruiters. Recruiters often have to sift
through huge volumes of CVs to fill vacancies - a process that consumes a lot of
time and money. This is because they traditionally rely on paper or emailed CVs
that vary in structure and are difficult to process.
Jobseekers on the other hand
increasingly find that CVs they've posted or emailed quickly go out of date, fail
to capture all their skills and achievements or fail to present information in a
way that means they get offered the right job opportunities. iProfile has set out
to solve these issues by creating the next evolution of the CV - a dynamic, online
CV for professionals - which is fast becoming the recruitment industry standard.
Thousands of recruiters and employers have access to iProfiles, which allows them
to seek out candidates more easily.
To learn more about this alternative to CV writing,
click here to try out iProfile for free.