3 Steps to Level Up Your CV or Resume to Land That Interview!
Studies have shown that, on average, a hiring manager will look at your resume or CV for less than 30 seconds. In fact, the majority of resumes are not even being looked at by human eyes these days. With software systems being developed and designed to kick out any non-qualified candidates, the majority of hiring managers are not even laying their eyes on your application!
After reviewing thousands of CVs & resumes for my clients, below are my top tips for not only getting your CV noticed but also to land you the job interview!
STEP 1. MAKE SURE YOUR RESUME LOOKS GOOD
This step is critical because this is the very first time someone is “meeting” you on paper. You must send the message that you are: organized, prepared, and invested time into this document.
Here are some of my favorite specific tips to make sure your aesthetic is professional and looks good:
Margins are between 0.5 to 1 inch all around
The whole document has a good balance of text and white space
You’ve picked the right font type and size. 10 to 14 font preferred in Garamond & Times New Roman to keep things professional
Italics, bolding, and underlining is consistent throughout the entire doc
Your CV should be chronological or in reverse chronological order. Whatever you choose, be consistent
Always send as a PDF to preserve the aesthetic you set up
STEP 2. MAKE SURE YOUR DOCUMENT SOUNDS GOOD!
This step is critical because similar to setting the aesthetic vibe of your document, this is the very first time someone is “meeting” you on paper. You must send the message that you are: qualified for the role you are seeking, skilled in the areas they are looking for, and a perfect fit for the position you want.
When describing your experiences, use Power Words such as leader, manager, director, coordinated, organized, oversaw, designed, and cultivated.
Quantify your experiences and goals achieved as much as possible (use numbers!)
Use achievement-based language instead of abbreviations and terminology that may not be understood by the reader. Avoid nomenclature that may not be understood by someone without specific context or someone who isn't speaking with you directly.
Include keywords that will get picked up on the Automatic Tracking System. To do this, print out the job description and make sure you include keywords of the job duties inside your CV. Your CV is not a one size fits all approach, each CV should be individualized for each role within each company.
Only include things that are relevant to the role. Exclude irrelevant information such as: gender, marital status, country of origin, birthday, conferences attended, volunteer activities that are not related or critical to this position, internships >5 years ago, references, and experiences that are irrelevant to the job description.
Minimize abbreviations when possible. If you chose to abbreviate, you must spell out the words first then use the abbreviations later in the document.
STEP 3. MAKE SURE YOUR READERS WANT TO READ THE WHOLE DOCUMENT!
Keep in mind, there is NO specific one-right-way that you should be adding your experiences together inside a resume or CV. Everyone has their own preferences of what should be included or excluded inside this document. However, with such a competitive marketplace it is critical to be putting your best foot forward and ensuring the reader wants to pull you in for an interview! That is the MOST important step in developing a stand out CV.
BONUS CV AND RESUME TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
There is NO specific order all of your experiences should be in: Consider adding the first section as the one that speaks most to the role you are applying for.
Label Sub-headers: Instead of “Work Experience” include “Professional X Work Experience” X should equal your specific line of work or specific industry.
Rotate Out Internships or Clerkships: At some point (>5 year marker), consider dropping internships, rotations, and unpaid training you took on as a student or early on in your career.
Highlight Your Education, Certifications, & Training Appropriately: The focus should be less on your training & education and more on your experiences and goals attained. Consider moving your education down to the bottom of the document. No one really cares where you went to school, even if it a fancy Ivy League #truth
Most importantly, have someone you trust read over this document. The last thing you want to do is submit a personalized document that has typos or misspellings.
Once you implement these tips, follow up with me and let me know how they work for you!
Cheers to skyrocketing your job application process!
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