Your CV is like a snapshot of you on paper, it’s meant to show your skills, abilities and experience to someone who hasn’t met you yet. So it’s vital that you keep it up to date and relevant to your professional side.
If you’re in the process of reviewing your CV, you may be asking yourself ‘how can I improve my CV?’, which is a great question to ask yourself. Whether you are looking to go to university or apply for a new job, you need to make sure your CV is the best it can be.
First things first, does your current CV hold all your latest qualifications and experience? Let’s be honest, there is no point in having a CV that you wrote 2 or 3 years ago to send out to potential employers as the information on it is almost certainly out of date and tired.
Most employers admit to only spending 30 seconds to a minute maximum on reviewing CVS, if you haven’t caught a potential employer’s attention by then, your CV is going in the bin and you won’t be called for an interview. So make sure the latest and most relevant information is on the front page. If you’re aged 35, then your time at school and the grades you achieved at GCSE or A-Level shouldn’t be the first thing on your CV. The first thing should be your last job or voluntary role, or even a personal statement about who you are and what you’re looking to achieve in your next role.
Keeping in mind how little time potential employers spend looking at CVs, you also want to ensure your CV is kept brief and to the point. But not so brief that it just ends up being a list of information! Note the dates, role title and a brief explanation of what you did and brought to the role to make it better. Then move onto to the previous job you had before that.
Easy ways to Improve your CV
- Ensure all information on your CV is accurate and up to date.
- Check there are no silly spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
- Always list the newest information first on your CV.
- Try and keep your CV brief and to the point, with only relevant information included.
- Keep the font size and type clear and easy to read.
- List your job roles in a chronological order.