Is it time to review your CV?

Whether you're on a job hunt or not, you should always keep your CV updated. Why? You'll go over your skillset and achievements, it's a great confidence booster, you'll get a better sense of yourself and where you stand career-wise, you'll identify key areas where your skills need improvement, you'll get a clear view of your strengths and you'll lay out a blueprint of your career's path.

Considering that a recruiter decides within the first 6 seconds from picking up your CV whether it's worthwhile studying, you should create the best humanly possible CV to grab and hold attention. To guarantee success, you should focus on the content and design of your CV and when you're done ask a friend to check the final format.

What Not to Include in Your CV

By understanding how to start off your CV and create the content, you should know which elements should never show up.

You should never include a goal which has nothing to do with the job you're applying for.

Also, never provide details about past jobs you've had which are irrelevant to your current interests.

When it comes to achievements, you should only talk about the professional or community linked accomplishments. The fact that you graduated college or university is not exactly a professional achievement.

The hobbies section should only include a short list of common habits such as reading, working out or writing, which could reflect ambition and discipline. Avoid grammar mistakes, using acronyms or abbreviations and never use colorful text just for the sake of it.

Creating the perfect CV

So, we've made a check list of what not to do. Let's move onto the best ways in which you can improve your CV and land your dream job.

Study the Job Post's Wording Style

Reflecting the wording of the job post throughout the content of your CV is one of the simplest ways to guarantee that you get through the door and put your hands on that interview. Compare the words used in the job post with the wording of your CV. For example, if the job post uses manager, but you've mentioned supervisor, change it.

Use A Different Format for Your CV's First Draft

Career expert Donald Asher suggests that the best way to give your CV a fresher, up-to-date and more personal touch is to write it as if you're writing to your best friend or family member, telling them about your professional achievements and career path. You can even boast a bit.

After you finish the letter, remove articles such as an, a and the, cut out most of the personal pronouns and transition words. Now the letter is a draft for your CV. By structuring it more like a story, it will become more authentic and strengthen the relation between you and your potential employer.

Keep It Real

Authenticity and real data should be the foundations of your CV. Never makeup stories or exaggerate your accomplishments. Don't say that a team of thousands was reporting back to you when only a few hundred were under your management.

Weed out any untruths about your skills, competencies, and abilities. Never state that you know Mandarin when you haven't met a Chinese person in your life. Never take an I'll play it by the ear approach. At some point, the truth will surface and could damage your reputation and in the worst case, lose your job.

Don't Reiterate the Objective

The employer/ recruiter already knows that your objective is to land the job. A better approach is to state what you can bring to the table and why you are better than other candidates for the job. Identify some key areas in your professional history where the relevant skillset helped you exceed expectations.

Focus on Achievements

Steer clears of redundancies. Focus on how your performance increased sales, drove the company forward, improved SEO rankings or how your project management skills developed the company's overseas business. Depending on your job history, highlight your achievements, not the job descriptions.

Active Voice, Proper Language & Grammar Checks

To create a dynamic and exciting CV you should use active and strong verbs and focus on yourself as the subject. For example, instead of saying responsible for export documentation you could easily include a verb and say drafted export documentation.

When you've figured out the best way to include a strong verb, focus on the subject. Instead of saying responsibilities included copywriting for online social media, you could say wrote copy for online social media. Keep the terminology of your phrasing close to that of the job post and check for any grammar errors or spelling mistakes.

Wrapping It Up

Creating a perfect CV to land your dream job takes focus and precision. However, if you're still not happy with the result, you can always ask a professional CV expert for help.