Getting your CV in great shape and order is simply the difference between landing an interview at the best organisations, or not. It’s your chance to get your foot in the door, so it needs to be right the first time. You only get one chance!
People reviewing your CV will no doubt be looking at 100s more. They will spend no more than 20 seconds deciding whether or not they want to read on! This is why the structure needs to be right; so the potential employer can get straight to the points they are looking for.
Structure
The best way to structure your CV is as follows, please follow this structure:
Contact Details
This includes your name (surprise!) and your contact details.
Education
Keep it simple. State the Year – Establishment - Qualifications - Grades. Include the most recent at the top, and always work in chronological order. Also include some extra bullet points about any individual achievements (this can be academic, sporting, social experiences, anything!)
Employment
Always start with the most recent and work back in chronological order and structure as below.
Month/Year – Company – Job Title Aug 2012 – Jan 2014: Thomson Local Advertising Sales Advisor
Then include bullet points about your duties and achievements. Really sell yourself to the employer. Fill it full of achievements, how you developed and what skills you gained, how fast you were promoted and any awards/incentives won.
You get the drift.
Achievements and Interests
This is your chance to really sell yourself on your life experience. Include sporting achievements, travelling experiences, social experiences, what you get up to in your spare time, anything that makes you individual and interesting. Employers want to see personality and character!
About Me and Why I Want to Work in The Industry
Don’t write an essay or life story but do write a short paragraph explaining a little bit about yourself.
Include a summary of your personality (driven, enthusiastic, ambitious etc).
Why you want to work in the industry...
Why you feel you have the skills necessary? (Relate to experience)
Your personal goals over the next 3 – 5 years?
Gaps!
Make sure that any gaps in your CV are explained. You will be turned down if there are long periods of nothing! Fill the gaps with the activities that may have taken up this time – studying, travelling, volunteering, coaching etc.
Check it!
The amount of times a CV is rejected because of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors is astounding! It’s simple to get right, yet a lot of people don’t bother to check their CV. Make sure you proof read it at least twice. It doesn’t take long and can make all the difference.
It also gives you the opportunity to know your CV inside out. Remember, if you claim you are ‘highly driven and ambitious’ you need to be able to give an example of where you are shown these characteristics in the past.
Tailor your CV for the application
You are applying for a role in the industry so make sure your CV is tailored specifically for this. Ensure you include points where you can prove you are:
Good with people / Confident / Target driven / Ambitious / Money motivated
Follow these points and you will create a CV that stands out.
A good CV is vital in landing you the best interviews.
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