With the start of a new year on the horizon, thoughts often turn to a new job or career and so it’s the perfect time to review your CV and see if there are any ways for you to improve how you come across to potential employers.
If you have been employed for a while or you’re returning to working after having a break, the chances are that your CV is not going to be fully up to date with your latest experience and qualifications. It may very well be out of date with other bits of information as well, such as your contact details.
So, the first thing to do is dust off the last version of your CV that you have and have a read through, as you work through your CV, make sure you pay attention to (and highlight) areas that are out of date and that you need to update. If there is a lot you need to update, it might be worth colour coding your highlighting so you know which bits you need to attend to first.
Now you know the parts that are in need of attention, you can set about updating them with more accurate information. Work your way through each section of your CV and add in the new information that applies since you last reviewed your CV. Be sure to keep it relevant and in chronicle order where possible.
If you have been working for a few years, then it’s always best to have your professional experience listed at the start of your CV, rather than making a potential employer read through half a page of A-Level and Diploma qualifications before getting to what they want to know. Also ensure you put your latest role at the top, again, potential employers don’t need to know where you first worked, they need to know how your current experience can benefit them!
Now your CV is up to date, it’s time to get someone else to review your CV. A fresh pair of eyes will be able to go over what you have written and spot any spelling mistakes you may have made and also highlight any information you may have missed. Once they have given you their feedback, then you can make the changes as needed and ask another friend or family member to have a read.
And that’s it, you have now reviewed your CV and you’re ready to get sending it out to potential employers to land that new job that you deserve.