Create a killer CV ? Just list your education, work experience, interests… Easy, right?
The labour market is becoming more and more competitive with time and in order to catch a recruiter’s interest and schedule an interview, your CV must be successful and present your skills in a clear, concise and strategic way.
A killer CV should highlight your experience and strengths, and describe your career path in an eloquent and revealing way. The aim of this first contact with the employer is to demonstrate your potential through a successful resume
A killer CV should therefore be carefully crafted, intelligently organised and tailored to each job vacancy in order to catch the eye of the recruiter.
Here are our 10 tips for a killer CV
1.Go straight to the point
Your CV is like a first impression a recruiter has of you so make sure your layout is well done and provides a nice introduction to your profile.
Usually, a CV should not exceed two pages. Underneath it all, employers spend, on average, barely 8 seconds looking at a CV. So, it’s up to you to be punchy, get straight to the point, and save other little details for the interview.
Therefore, in 5 seconds, the recruiter must understand who you are, your background, and your objective.
Here are the topics that should appear on your killer CV:
👉 Contact information
👉 Professional experience
👉 Education
👉 Skills
2. Customize your CV
We’ve all done it, right? Send the same CV to multiple employers to save time ! Well, that’s a common practice that needs to be avoided. If you want to apply for jobs that falls into different categories, it’s best that you adapt your CV to the job.
3. Your personal description
Don’t assume that an employer will see how your experience relates to the job you applied for. Instead, use a brief personal statement to explain why you are the best person for the job. You can include this description just below your professional photo on your CV. Finally, make sure your description matches your cover letter.
To know what to write in this section, try asking yourself the following questions:
👉Who are you?
👉What can you offer the company?
👉What are your career goals?
4. Keep your CV up to date
Try to keep your CV as updated as possible so that when an opportunity arises, you can send your application instantly.
5. Do not leave gaps
Avoid obvious gaps on your CV as this immediately makes employers wary .Have you been on a course? Have you done any voluntary work or developed soft skills such as communication, teamwork or project management?
If so, mention it on your CV. The important thing is to be transparent if you have had a ‘gap’ during your professional years.
6. Highlight your experiences
Perhaps you have gained lots of different experiences and skills during your various jobs such as communication skills, customer service, project management or any other skills that you have collected in various jobs or professional experience. Highlight the skills that fits best and that will latch best the job you are applying for.
7.Highlight your academic achievements
Your academic background gives you a considerable advantage over your competitors. Don’t hesitate to put them forward.
8. Keep it honest
Lies on your CV can get you into trouble when it comes to employers checking your background and references. The last thing you want is to miss an opportunity.
Be transparent about your background and skills.
9. Choose the right CV
The CV is a document that has been used for decades to apply for a job. It has evolved over time according to the preferences of recruiters, the originality of candidates and the fields of activity. The most practical way is to put a CV in PDF format.
New formats also include a video resume or even a carousel.
10.Style your CV
A well written and homogeneous CV is surely pleasant to for the one who reads it.
For example use “bullets points” and keep sentences short. Leave some space around the texts and between categories so that the layout is easy for the eyes. A well-organised CV definitely makes you want to read it more. You can also add a colour to separate your different sections and highlight key points in your résumé.
Discover these 2 tools to create your great CV
👉 Canva:This is a graphic design tool that allows you to create your CV in a few minutes. Numerous CV templates are available. Thanks to this tool, you can give a great makeover to your CV.
👉 CVDesignR: Informative and fun, CVDesignR is the reference tool for creating creative, professional and multilingual CVs online. Choose your favourite template from a modern and fully customisable selection.
Now that you are aware of these 10 steps for writing your CV, let’s dig deeper on how to preparer yourself when applying for a job.
👉 Prepare yourself from head to toe for your job interview and grab your FREE ebook to guide you
👉 Let’s help you find your dream job !
👉 Want to have more insights about the Labour market ? Get your Free Salary Benchmark here.
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