One look at an application tells the specialists in HR whether you seem suitable for the advertised role, or whether their attention moves on to the next candidate. The CV matters most of all, because it gives the reader a quick overview of your background and what you are aiming for.
Is the CV you wrote at school still good enough?
The expectations for job applications change. You almost certainly covered application letters at school. If a few years have passed since then, you should assume the approach you learned is out of date. So please do not take the CV you put together back then and update it – write a new one. And adapt your CV to what the company you are applying to is looking for.
What has to go in a CV?
If you are applying for a night-shift side job in a laboratory, it makes sense to be restrained about your interests. Presenting yourself as a committed triathlete could work against you. That you are studying chemistry or medicine, on the other hand, is important information. If you do voluntary social work, a charitable organisation where you want to do a placement will be very interested in that.
The formal structure
You know the tabular, reverse-chronological CV, but also the written-out form. Tabular CVs are easier to read, so that variant is the better choice. Start at the top with your current situation and work backwards to the beginning of your education. The reason is that this lets the reader judge your development. Occasionally a company will ask for a written-out CV. That kind of CV may run to two to four pages. With a written-out CV you should take the time to explain the background to what you did. The big challenge is of course keeping the balance between too much detail and too little. The reader needs some of the information, but reading it must not cost them too much time. Nor should it bore them. So think carefully about what the employer should know and wants to know.
Your CV creates the impression of who you are
A CV is a place for facts. But do not forget that your CV is your calling card. It therefore decides what impression your future employer forms of you. They can read your abilities out of it and inform themselves about your qualifications. So allow enough time for your CV and tailor it precisely to the job advert.
No unexplained gaps
Typos, wrong dates and gaps: these are the mistakes that get a CV filtered out. Have your CV checked in advance by experienced proofreaders. Gaps happen, but try to avoid them. If that is not possible, what matters is that you can explain them. What did you do during that time? If you travelled, that is a good explanation, but you should fill it with more substance. Three months on a beach do not carry the weight of a study trip. If a placement does not fit the job advert at all, mention it anyway. A bare reference to "an internship" is not enough. Explain instead what you did, where, and over what period. The more self-explanatory your CV is, the better.
This is what your CV has to show at a glance:
- Who are you?
- When did you finish school, and with what qualification?
- What are you studying, where, and since when?
- What further training have you done?
- Have you written a dissertation or thesis?
- What jobs have you held?
Divide your CV into education and practical experience. Pay attention to the layout too. The font size has to be easy on the eye. Keep your spacing consistent and use bullet points for readability where they help. Afterwards, give the CV to a second person and ask for their assessment. If a photo is expected where you are applying, use a good one taken professionally – a snapshot is not suitable, however well it happens to have turned out. In the UK, Ireland and North America, leave the photo off entirely.
Your contact details
That your contact details should be clearly legible on your CV is no news to you. Take particular care over the email address you choose. An unprofessional email address can be a knockout criterion. If you do not have an address with your real name in it, set one up.
Submit online or send by email?
Find out whether your possible future employer wants the whole application online or by post. It is also possible that the company provides application forms to download. In that case those forms govern how you apply. Such forms are often kept very brief and leave little room for additional information. If so, it is worth clarifying by phone whether you can submit further information afterwards. A good way to put it is that you have additional qualifications you would like to set out.
Other mistakes to avoid
Your additional attributes, such as personal qualities, belong in the application itself, not in the CV. You can list your interests at the end if they fit the application. Activities that show you are a team player and happy to take responsibility work particularly well. Hobbies with a high risk of injury are better left off. Do not try to present yourself as unusually exciting. Otherwise you have to expect to be asked about exactly that at interview, and you may not be able to answer. But make sure your CV does not end up too dull either. If yours is on the thin side, take the opportunity to add the areas of focus that defined your training or your jobs.