In a world where everything is driven by speed, quality always tends to take a back seat. This is also the case with some of the CV’s I’ve encountered, spending that little extra time to update your CV can open up avenues and path the way to interviews and one step closer to your ideal job.
TAILOR IT TO THE JOB DECRIPTION & MATCH YOUR SKILLS TO THE JOB
Spending a little time in reading the job description and highlighting any key points, projects and technologies you have worked with which will bring value to the team and company project is key to impressing your future employer.
It is key to go into details about the projects you are working on and how you added value. Details of what you did and how this impacted the project are key to impressing your future employer.
ADD PERSONAL PROJECTS AND GITHUB
One of the key things I notice is that a lot of the Software Engineers I speak to are so passionate about technologies and projects they work with outside of work and never mention or show these off on the CV.
It is vital to add any Github links or personal project links to your CV as this will give an insight to your future employer that you are passionate about technology and puts you in a light where you can work independently solve problems on your own and potentially bring new ideas to the team.
KEEP IT TO TWO PAGES & DON’T WAFFLE
Some people have the misconception that the longer the CV means the better and more experienced that individual is. This is definitely not the case; it is vital to keep your CV short and concise. My recommendation is “Keep it two pages”. Anything more than this tends to be waffle and you will lose the reader and it will make your CV less desirable.
When describing your work experiences, the best way to convey your experiences are to keep them short highlighting the project / platform you have worked on and the technologies you worked with. A good way of structuring this is using the STAR method. By firstly describing the Situation you were in. The it is key to explain the Task you had to complete. Describe the specific Action you took to complete the task and what was the Result of your efforts.
Alongside this at the bottom of the CV it is important to show any education or qualifications you may have obtained in your career.
DON’T COMPLICATE YOUR CV & MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO SPELLING MISTAKES
I have come across some CV’s which are very flamboyant and just simply put “over the top”. Too many graphics and colours can sometimes lead the reader to be put off by the CV and lead to confusions.
“Simplicity is key” the best way to be is understated.
It is also key to proofread your CV once you have completed it just to make sure there are no spelling mistakes as these can give the impression of carelessness.
SHORT TERM PAIN LONG TERM GAIN
Having read through hundreds of CV’s in my career these are some of the keyways in which to highlight the things you’ve achieved, what kind of person you are and what you can bring to the table.
By putting time and effort into your CV at the start of your job search will certainly pay off and lead to creating more opportunities and interviews for you. Ultimately it will put you one step closer to that amazing next career move.
