You don’t just want a good CV, you don’t even want a great one. You need a perfect CV, and with this guide, you’ll learn how to write one.
An article written by and credited to Jacques Buffett
When you find the perfect job you don’t want to leave anything to chance. The better the job the tougher the competition and the harder it gets to be shortlisted for an interview.
If you want to be sure of securing your rightful place in the recruiter’s yes pile, you need a perfect CV and you’re about to learn how to write one. Here’s the formula that’ll enable you to create a perfect CV template.
1. Prepare the Perfect CV Layout
Before you start writing the perfect CV, you’ve got to do the groundwork. A good CV layout is all about creating a neat and tidy framework for your written content. Get it right and it instantly conveys a sense of professionalism. It also creates an easy to read CV structure so the recruiter can effortlessly discover why you’re the perfect candidate.
Follow these steps to create CV layout perfection.
Create lots of white space to give your CV clarity and structure. Do that by having margins set to one inch on all four sides of the page, double-spacing between paragraphs and using left-alignment only.
Choose the perfect CV font. Calibri, Arial and Helvetica are smooth sans serif classics. Or if you do prefer a little serif action then go for Garamond, Cambria and Georgia. In fact, Garamond is so perfect it’s been with us since the 16th century. That longevity is a real vote of confidence if ever there was one.
And don’t ruin your layout by choosing the wrong file type. Save your CV as a PDF to keep everything perfectly organised and razor sharp.
2. Choose the Perfect CV Format
CV format, CV layout, same thing surely? Not exactly. When it comes to writing the perfect CV the format refers to the order you put your CV sections in and what you include in them. In the UK there are two main types, chronological and skills-based.
Chronological CV Format
For the vast majority of candidates, this is the choice for a perfect CV. Hiring managers are familiar with it and its centrepiece is your work experience. It’s also fully compatible with ATS software, which most large companies use to scan your CV. And if the ATS can’t read it then it’s rejected in a flash and never seen by human eyes.
Skills-Based CV Format
In a skills-based CV, the most important section is a skills summary, which does exactly what it says and describes your proficiency in key transferable skills. If you’re a freelancer without a conventional history of full-time employment, a career changer, or transitioning from the military to civilian life, it can be an effective choice. Otherwise, avoid it. Skills-based CVs are hard to write well, recruiters don’t like them and they tend to get rejected by older versions of ATS.
3. Sell Your Brand With A Bold CV Header
The single most important distinguishing factor in a CV is your name. Ultimately, your CV is like a promotional piece selling you as the perfect candidate. You need to stand out as an individual and make sure the recruiter associates your name and identity with your experience, skills, accomplishments and other perfect CV selling points.
You can make that happen with a striking CV header. It occupies prime page real estate right at the top, scientifically proven to be the first thing the reader sees. Here’s how to do it.
Increase the font size for your name. Make it 4–6 points bigger than the rest of the body text and bold it to really make it leap off the page.
Include your job title, it gives you a professional identity to back up your personal one.
Don’t include personal information like marital status or unnecessary information like your home address. Personal info has no bearing on your ability to do the job and unnecessary information just takes up valuable space.
4. Get Them Hooked with an Impressive CV Summary at the Top of Your CV
It’s also known as your CV profile or personal statement. Whatever you call it though, your CV summary is key to writing the perfect CV. It’s exactly like the opening paragraph of a book, and the great Stephen King himself says he spends months or even years perfecting his opening lines.
I’m not suggesting you spend that long but if you put some effort into creating a perfect CV summary, you’ve massively boosted your chances of success. This is what you need to do.
Leave it until last. It’s the first section of your CV but you can’t really summarise something that isn’t written yet. Wait until everything else is ready and then condense it down into your personal statement.
Keep it brief, 3–4 lines is ideal, and structure it by explaining who you are, what can you contribute and what your career goals are.
Make sure you tailor it to the role you’re applying for. Use the job description as your guide and make sure you’ve mentioned some of the key skills required.
And be positive and passionate. Show that you’re excited about the job opportunity and the company you’re applying for. Hiring managers love seeing commitment and energy in potential candidates.
5. Make a Perfect CV Work Experience Section
If your CV was a concert, your work experience section is the headliner, the rest of it is the supporting act, nice but not what you forked out your hard-earned cash on tickets for. So your work history absolutely has to be perfect. It’s non-negotiable.
Include the essentials. For each job you list, mention your job title, the employer’s name and location and the dates you worked there. List them in reverse chronological order, most recent first and work backwards from there.
For each entry, write 4–6 bullet points describing the role. Start them with snappy action words, not dull repetitive phrases like ‘responsible for’. For example, words like mentored, fostered and motivated make great alternatives to ‘managed’.
Don’t use your bullet points to merely list your duties. Work in achievements using accomplishment statements. This shows how well you did the job. Add numbers too. How many people did you manage or work with? What savings did you make? What increase in a key metric did you contribute to? Quantify those achievements wherever you can.
6. Capitalise on Keywords
A perfect CV needs to leverage the power of keywords. In the context of your job search, keywords are the words and phrases that describe specific job requirements and the job title itself. Both recruiters and the ATS software I mentioned earlier use them as key indicators to determine whether to proceed with a candidate.
To get an idea of what keywords you need to include, read the job description. Look for the experience, skills and abilities it lists as being required. Then work these words and phrases into your CV, making sure it’s still grammatically correct and sounds natural.
7. Check for Mistakes
You won’t have a perfect CV if you let mistakes slip through the net. So make sure you double-check your work. Make use of apps like Grammarly and Hemingway. And when you’ve done all of that, get a friend to check it over. That might seem like overkill, but an error-free CV puts you in the elite.
One study revealed 94% of CVs contained at least one spelling or grammatical error, with 63% containing five or more mistakes. And considering another study revealed poor spelling is as bad for your CV as lack of experience, double-checking your work is an easy win.
8. Include a Perfect Cover Letter
Cover letters and CVs work together in synergy. In other words they work together to create a combined effect greater than the sum of their parts. A perfect CV absolutely has to be accompanied by a cover letter to maximise its effectiveness.
Or to put it another way, leaving out a cover letter could cut your chances of success in half. Far from being a relic of a bygone age, cover letters are still an essential part of the modern job hunt. Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates.
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