Let's make a better CV together
- Charlotte Tomlinson
- Apr 19, 2022
- 3 min read
I think CV's are underrated. A lot of people dread the thought of having to create one and remember every little detail about your past roles *shudder* ... BUT it doesn't have to be like that! The days of Times New Roman, left aligning and black fonts are dunzo.
I'm going to take you through some easy steps to get started on your shiny, new CV with extra personal elements to ensure employers remember yours in the stack.
1) LET IT ALL OUT ... on paper
The worst thing you can do is try to get all of your information down at once, it's too much to process! First you should try getting a piece of paper, or your notes app and write down all the employment you can remember - big, small and for however long! Once you've done that, revisit and jot down the dates you can remember for each role - don't worry if it's a rough estimate.
Next you'll want to write down everything you've done which isn't employment, but good for the CV. So this could be any volunteer work, any clubs or sports you do, even if it's caring for a pet - get all this down onto a separate list (this is what sets you apart from other people!)
When it comes to laying this out on your CV you can be creative - create timelines to show your education or create visual aids to showcase the levels of your skills.
2) PERSONAL PROFILE
This section can be difficult I won't lie to you, however, I read one of the best pieces of advice in terms of writing the other day and it's this ... "Just write and review later" It's never going to be perfect first time and I can't stress that enough. You will need to go back and edit anyway, so rather than trying to figure out what is exactly the right word for this section or how to phrase the sentence properly and wasting a lot of time, you can review that later with the rest of your edits!
Once you've started writing things will naturally come out about you and how you genuinely feel about yourself. Remember, this section isn't to talk about how your fear of bee's developed from an incident when you were aged 5, it's to showcase who you are, what's important to you and why you would be a good fit to the role you're applying for.
3) YOUR NICHE
Research your area of expertise so for example if you were applying for a design role, nip onto Pinterest and see how others have laid out their CV, what kind of style have they gone for? Does this role need a more professional and corporate feel? Or could you be more fun and loose with it?
With the above being said, it could be handy to go even more out the box and try to allow your CV to reflect the brand you're applying for. Here's a great article that showcases some amazing ways to think outside the box:
4) OK NOW WHAT?
So you have everything you need!
- Your list of employment
- Your list of skills
- Your list of hobbies
- Your personal profile
- Your design style
From here we can make the design of your new CV perfect for your niche, make sure you stand out from the crowd and ensure it showcases everything relevant to you and your new role. We've already got all the ammo it just needs to be placed correctly which is how I can help. Not only will I be able to help the design for your own unique CV truly pop, but I can also improve your text and lay things out in a way to avoid any employment gaps, or really rave about a certain role or skill.
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