Importance of your CV
Wednesday, May 12th, 2021
For many jobs, your CV will be a potential employers first impression of you. The old saying goes, ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression.’ Well, think of that and double it because if your CV fails to impress, then you might not get a second impression at all.
During the pandemic, in which opportunities for in-person meetings have been limited, CVs have become even more important.
For this reason, it is extremely important that you, as a candidate, look as capable, reliable, and professional as possible.
This short article should help and give you a few tips:
- Make sure that your CV includes a short and relevant personal statement; your up-to-date work history, with your most recent job at the top and all gaps and reasons for leaving accounted for; followed by your education history and qualifications.
- Try to keep your CV’s length to two pages where possible. Always prioritise efficiency of space over flashy graphics.
- Aim to tailor your CV to the job that you are applying for to show that you have the skills and qualifications requested on the job specification. If you have worked as a Nanny/Housekeeper and you are applying for a purely housekeeping job, ensure that your CV focusing on your housekeeping element of your experience rather than the childcare side. List the duties you have performed and the employers you have worked for separately instead of listing your work history as a block. Often, if you are applying through jobsites you can have up to three different CVs uploaded. Just make sure you attach the right one to your application.
- If you are using Indeed, please check that your CV has downloaded correctly as we often find there is a lot of missing or incorrect information. Remember that you do have the option to use your own CV rather than their version of your CV. You can do this by clicking: “Apply with a different CV,” when an application window pops up. For this reason, try to use the original where possible.
- Only give current reference contact details on your CV if you are happy for the employer or agency to contact them. Alternatively, you can write “References available on request.”
- We can only make decisions based on the information given on the CV. We often have conversations with individuals upset that they have been rejected for jobs and they say that they have got the experience but forgot to put it on their CV. Alternatively, you could supply a cover letter with your application.
- If you are returning to a jobsite after a break, ensure that all your personal details are up to date.
- If you have multiple names, ensure the name on your CV matches the ID you will be required to produce. If you are applying with an agency, you will likely be required to show your passport, driving license, visa status, DBS, and other necessary documents.
I hope that this has been helpful and that you will use these tips to make sure that your CV reflects your strengths as a candidate. The CV is only the first step, but first steps are sometimes the most important.
