6 tips to improve your CV format

The CV is essential document for any worker who wants to get ahead. It is a crucial document that summarizes your work history. Gone are the days that a CV template would run for pages. The aim is not to bore people to death; instead, your CV should awe and wow! So how do you get that done? Follow the 6 simple steps I will outline below to improve your CV format in 10 minutes or less.

I have seen hundreds of CV templates and looked at even more CV formats. I have been on the hiring end of things and saw what made my boss recoil in disgust or giddy with joy. The reason you aren’t getting to the interview stage is because your CV format is not effective.

I will list 6 tips to improve your CV format so that you can draft that winning CV template and get the job you want:

Tip #1: Make your CV a one-page CV

Unless you’re in a technical industry that involves years of specialization and certification, try to keep your CV at a 1 page maximum. The shorter the better. Your employer must catch a glimpse of your work history by having a look at your CV. Potential recruiters should not be made to suffer through 7 pages of your CV because it’s a waste of their time, and frankly it’s a waste of your own time to sit down and produce a CV format or CV template that is more than a page.

Tip #2: Make your CV attractive

If you’re CV is one page, it should not feel like it’s lacking some. On the other hand, it should grab the recruiter’s attention at first glance. Your CV format must be cohesive and pleasant to look at. Your colours must make sense as well as the font and the general CV template. Attractive doesn’t always mean busy; it can mean simple and clean. Less is always more.

Tip #3: Include a professional picture

We would like to think that looks don’t matter, but they do. If a recruiter sees a pleasing professional photo of you, it could sway them in your favour. My CV has a small photo in the top left corner; always include a professional photo of yourself so that the recruiter has a visual of you that impresses them.

Tip #4: Make your CV relevant

It is easy to send the same CV to all job posts without tweaking it at all. We all fall into that trap, we get lazy. I understand, but laziness isn’t going to get you that dream job. For every job you apply for, you need to customise your previous work experience to include only the experience that is relevant to the post advertised. Don’t send the same CV to job vacancies from different industries. Your CV format and work experience must be relevant to the advertised vacancy.

Tip #5: Get fresh eyes to assess your CV

Use your friends and family in the professional world to have a look at your CV and look for typos or grammatical errors. Second eyes always catch the small intricate things that you missed. As a writer, even I can miss small errors in my work that are easily picked up by a fresh second pair of eyes. The saying two heads are better than one really applies here.

Tip #6: Consult an HR specialist

The last tip is to approach someone who is a recruiter or HR specialist and request them to review your CV. They hire people everyday and can point out things about your CV format that can cause a recruiter to turn you down and not offer you an interview.

If you need a FREE assessment for your CV, I offer that service for only $5, click here for more!

Your CV format represents you, don’t allow it to give the wrong impression. For more, email me at basegooratilesegaetsho@gmail.com