Seven Lucky Tips for Writing a CV
by The CV is an important part of getting any job, be it a position flipping burgers in McDonald’s, or a professor of physics at Cambridge.
Be careful with the tone of your letter, too formal and it might as well be a CV, too informal and you won’t sound like you’re taking it seriously. As a guide line, throw in one, maybe two bits of humor, but keep the rest formal. This can however change depending on the job and the employer. You know damn well that if you are applying to work in the NHS, humor in your letter is a poor idea. On the other hand maybe not; having a more casual covering letter might make yours stand out from the crowd in a good way. Striking a balance takes practice, and also careful thought about the job you are applying for. Look online for more examples of covering letters.
Get a Friend in Middle Management
As you’re probably realized, a lot of the work in writing a good CV is in proof reading. So, who better to proof read your CV than the person who’s going to be reading it? In most companies, middle managers are the ones who are responsible for hiring staff within their departments, so if you can find one of these people, get them to read your CV and tell them what they think. Take their advice above all else- people with that professional level are going to be the ones reading your CV.
Be Creative With the Truth, But Do Not Lie
If you’ve spent a few weeks trying to sell stuff on eBay, you have “Experience in online retail”. If you’ve ever had to deal with people in a professional situation you either have “Experience working in a team” or, “Skill dealing with the general public”.
You get the idea. Stretch things to sound more impressive than they are, but don’t make things up. If you are questioned about this at interview, then it’s better to appear that you overestimate yourself than you are a liar.
Remember, It’s Not All in the CV
How you present your CV is just as important as the CV itself. Wherever possible ask to speak to the person in charge of recruiting and hand it directly to them. And then (assuming they are not too busy) try to engage them in conversation. Ask questions about the job, try to appear genuinely enthusiastic and interested. Someone who remembers YOU, is a lot more likely to remember your CV and give you a call.
Well, those are the fundamentals of CV writing. If you’re still having trouble I recommend looking around online as there are many resources to help you in your quest to perfect your CV. One other important note is to know when your CV is finished. All the advice in the world won’t help if you’re re writing your CV every thirty seconds. Everyone has a different opinion on the perfect CV, so decide what you want and know when to call it a day. To finish, remember these key points:
- Tailor your CV to your job
- Use a template
- Better to sell yourself too long than too short
- Keep it SHORT
- Have others proof read it
- Always include a covering letter
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