Be on top of the game with these CV Writing Tips

There is a lot of competition in the market today. People in want of jobs are more than the jobs available for people. In this rush and stampede to get jobs, some people lose while some win. Then there are also those who don’t get asked to appear for an interview. It does not mean that they were not worthy of it. They might have missed the spot because their CV could not put forth their real potential. Therefore, it is necessary to keep a few CV writing tips up your sleeves so that you don’t falter while drafting the perfect CV.

Here are some CV writing tips for your benefits:

Uptown Font don’t give it to you.

The first thing you must and need to keep in mind while typing your CV is never going for the stylish fonts. They may look very attractive but the people checking your CV might have a tough time reading through it. The HR or the boss who will be checking your CV won’t have the time to appreciate how you have written it. They just need to know what you have written and whether you need to be called.

The best and the most professional font to go for would be ‘Times New Roman’. They are easy on the eyes and help to glance through your CV quickly. In any job you take up, you are required to be quick and alert. You must act professional and cannot waste unnecessary time. The fonts you make use of, also reflect on how proficient you are. So always stick to fonts that are formal and professional- Arial, Lucida Sans.

Some people are in the habit of not wasting pages. Therefore they end up keeping the font size smaller. Don’t be so ridiculous! You might want to save paper here but end up saving your seat for someone else. The ideal font size is 12, as it is not too small and also fit the page perfectly. Size 14 is also an option but then nothing too bigger or smaller than that.

The fonts you make use of, also reflect on how proficient you are.

Checking for typos and incorrect details:

Never send your CV across without being absolutely sure what you are sending. It is always good to check twice before forwarding anything that might suggest otherwise. Everybody makes typos but it is better to take care of it before it gets out of hands.

The usual typo errors that people make are- adding extra space, incorrect and unnecessary punctuations, usage of “its” versus “it’s”, mixing tenses and unnecessary pluralisation. Such mistakes will not help you get anywhere but will surely provide the recruiters a hearty laugh. Remember, your one mistake could cause you a lifetime of embarrassment.

So you might want to say that your interests include- ‘listening to music, cooking, dogs and reading.’ Now imagine if you eat up the comma between cooking and dogs. It could be extremely scandalous and no doubt, funny too. But, you do not want to show people that you are inhuman-like. Even if you like eating dogs, you cannot put that on you CV. Not using that one comma could send someone into a coma.

Not using that one comma could send someone into a coma.

Another issue that takes place sometimes is, when you don’t press the keyboard buttons properly and so it does not register that letter. It happens quite often and therefore it is always necessary to double check it and even get it checked by someone else. Since the other person will be reading it for the first time, he can easily spot your mistakes. Quite often we know what to expect while reading the sentences and so we don’t register those mistakes. You may want to conclude your CV by wanting to say – ‘Looking forward to working in here’ – and you miss out the last “e” in the word “here.” You could rub them off in the wrong way. Not to forget what image they will conjure of you.

No once upon a time…

While referring to your previous job experiences, don’t begin with the company’s inception period and issues they were facing until you swooped in time, to save everyone. If you were asked to write an essay, you could use that creative liberty. But we are talking business here and you have to keep a check on your language. Don’t be overenthusiastic about showing off your skills at the cost of losing a good job.

In the corporate world, you cannot expect people to take out special time for your CV. They will be looking for the important information and keywords. If you mix all that with your woven story, they will not bother to read two sentences. Your CV will be kept aside and maybe handed over to organizations in need of content writers. So there you go from being an accountant to a content writer because the author in you could not refrain from showing off. It is a common mistake but it is best to avoid it.

Cut off that chunk, punk!

Your text becomes very chunky when you write long stories to convey something that can be stated in 4-5 words. Big paragraphs scare the recruiter because they do not like reading so much. Give them small doses of information to digest. This will let them know whether you possess the required skills for the job. A CV never looks good with a lot of text crammed up together on a page. It needs to be airy. Sprinkle the information on the CV pages, don’t dump them together. Paragraphs are disappointing as they don’t help convey the message fittingly. There is a solution for that as well. You could shoot the extra text. In other words…

…Put a Bullet in it

Always be precise with what you have to say and put it forward in a very short and crisp manner. To not get into the habit of writing stories, collect all the information you need to put and make them into bulleted points. They are the best way to go about stating what is required and important.

You may want them to know that you are good at calculating big numbers quickly and efficiently. Don’t get into the details of how they were having troubles with the accounts, and then you entered just in time to save the day from despair and doom. Come to the point directly by stating that you are efficient with mathematical problems. This way, the recruiters will know that you are a quick worker. The bulleted point could work in your favour as they would think of you as an asset to the company. If you stick to the story version, they would not care to appreciate your worth.

Key(word) to a good CV

When you mail your CV to the company, you are not the only one who has applied there. They get tonnes of CVs for jobs every day, and they cannot afford to read through every one of them. Many companies have softwares that have bugs which crawl through the CVs in order to find the keyword.

Use the Keyword at least 2-3 times in your CV.

It is not difficult to know what keyword to use. Once you know what job you are applying for, use that as the keyword and at least mention it twice or three times. This helps the bugs to not disregard your CV. If you are applying for a post of an operations manager, use that word at least 2-3 times in your CV. But be sure not to use it in every sentence. You need to sound professional and business-like, not desperate and distressed in need of a job.

Don’t just lie there

All truth and no lies makes Jack a worthy recruit. It is very easy to squeeze extra details to prep that perfect CV. It is convenient to state whatever you like, thinking it will enhance the CV. Lying is the one thing you must refrain from because the people hiring you  have experience. When they call you for your interview, they will have your CV in their hand. If they ask something from the lies you have cooked, you might land in hot soup. You can only answer what you know, so then only add what you have done. You don’t have to go out of the way to get a job. If you know you are worth it, it is better to stick to the truth and get the job on your own merit.

You don’t have to go out of the way to get a job.

We understand how difficult it is to get work during these challenging times where demands for jobs are higher. But it is highly important to make your CV standout from the rest of the crowd. For not being the sheep in the herd, you can make use of these best CV writing tips and secure a good job.

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