Did you know that the average employer spends just one to two minutes looking at your CV? This means that you have to create an immediate and positive impression. It’s tempting to create a detailed and in-depth CV, highlighting all of your skills, experience and educational background, while still showcasing your personality. As a freelance writer, I’m well used to updating and submitting my CV every couple of weeks, and I’ve learned some things in the process.
Firstly, design is just as important as content when it comes to creating a first impression. Your CV should look tidy and uncluttered, and be very easy to read. If it appears difficult to read, an employer may not even bother. Keep an eye on small details like font size, use bold type sparingly to highlight important information, as it draws the eye. Even the typescript you choose can make a difference: take a look at adverts or publications within that industry, and adjust your typescript to fit. This makes total sense, as your CV is your own personal advertisement, so why not treat it like one?
To that end, my own CV consists of just a single page, and is a grand total of 260 words! It’s got my name and contact details, a link to my online portfolio, a short 130-word professional bio, a list of my applicable skills, a list of publications for whom I’ve written, and just two references. That’s all! I haven’t included my educational background, as my career has no link to my degree. If it doesn’t help me get the job, then why would I include this information?
The keys to building an effective CV are to lay it out in an appealing way, and to make every word count. Every sentence you write should be to-the-point and relevant, to convey that you are the ideal candidate. In the world of job applications, it’s not quite the case that “less is more”. Rather, it’s “relevance is everything”.
