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Almost 60% of resumes that employers get end up straight up in the dustbin without a call for the second round for the recruitment process. A CV is an introduction of yourself that you give to your potential employer. You need to make sure you introduce yourself effectively in order to improve your chances of getting ahead in the recruitment process. Here are 10 tips which can help you write a better CV.
1. Keep it short
Employers get hundreds of resumes every day. They do not have the time to go through pages of your biography. Keep your CV really short. A page is the ideal length of a resume, but at best, it can be a maximum of two pages. Any longer and it will be trashed.
2. Follow the common layout
Employers tend to scan resumes in order to shortlist the right candidates. Following a standard layout for a CV is always advisable. The general layout of a CV is your personal details at the top, followed by career objectives, academic qualifications, achievements, interests and hobbies. Make sure you use short sentences and use bullet points wherever possible. Have plenty of white space in your Cv in order to make it easy to glance through.
3. Avoid cliched vocabulary
When writing your goals and objectives, avoid using clichéd vocabulary. Employers have become immune to clichéd words and they harm the credibility of your resume.
4. Define your success in numbers
Instead of just saying handled something like “handled a profile successfully”, it is always better to quantify that success. Include numbers such as percentage of sales that increased in the last organization because of your efforts.
5. Tweak the CV according to the profile you are applying for
Don’t just have a CV and start shooting off the same to every organization or job offer you come across. Tweak your resume according to the profile and the organization you are applying for. Your CV needs to be in tune with what an organization is looking for.
6. Write a summary
It is important that your CV is in tune with what the employer is looking for. He does not want to waste time conducting an interview with someone who is not the right fit for the organization. Help save your and your potential employer’s time as well by writing a summary of your career goals and objectives.
7. Explain gaps
There are many of us who have gap years for myriad reasons. Some of us decide to take a break while for others, there is a break forced upon them for lack of a good opportunity. Gaps are not bad, but it is important that you explain them to your employer in a positive way. If you have been out of work for an year, tell your potential employer what you have been doing. It could be a course, self improvement or anything else that shows you in a positive light.
8. Use spell check
Spelling and grammatical errors on a CV never have a good impression on an employer. They come across as lack of interest and a lack of attention to details. Before you send across your CV, make sure you have thoroughly proofread it for grammatical and spelling errors.
9. Include references
References add to the credibility of your resume. Even if it the first job you are applying to, you can always include references from your college internship or someone you have worked with closely for an important project or assignment in college.
10. Don’t forget the cover letter
A cover letter is a prelude to your CV. You need to make sure you write something that peeks the interest of the employer. A good cover letter makes sure your CV is read thoroughly.
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