Opinion
- BREVITY
I’m not telling you to leave out important
information but I am telling you not to
write a book. Hiring managers often have
to sif t through hundreds of C Vs. Don’t let
your CV scare them off with lengthy
paragraphs and run-on sentences. Say
what you need to say in as few words as
possible. Quality over quantity! - PROOF OF EXPERTISE
Obviously one of your most important
goals when writing a CV is the effective
conveyance of your skills and expertise.
The hiring manager is on a mission to
hire someone who can do the job and do
it right. Be sure to prove that it’s you! - RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
The key word here is relevant. While it is
tr ue that most e x periences help to shape
and mold us in some way, you really are
better off listing relevant experiences for
a few reasons. If you are currently trying
to find employment as a teacher, there is
simply no reason to list your experience
as a DJ circa 2007. You want your CV to
f low wel l and have continuit y. T hat being
said, if you feel strongly that a work or
life experience, though unrelated,
particularly lends itself to your cause,
then feel free to list it. Simply be careful
about including too many irrelevant
pieces in your CV.
So how should you go about creating
this perfect CV? Let’s take a look at a few
of the options out there.
Option 1
ODraw your CV in Illustrator/Sketch and
export it as a PDF
Pros: The choice of tools and visual
elements are seemingly endless with this
option. You are free to define and create
your own visual style.
Cons: This process can be quite time
consuming. When using this method, it
may also be dif ficult to keep the str ucture
optimised for recruiters. According to
studies, recruiters tend to spend most of
their time on select areas of a CV. This
means that the structure of a CV and the
position of elements in it truly matters.
Although it could attract more attention
Option 3
OUse convenient online CV builders
with professionally designed templates
There are lots of online CV builders
available but many of their templates
aren’t particularly appealing and, in some
cases, can be downright boring. This is
why any builder you choose needs unique
design templates, a friendly user interface
and should be carefully structured to
follow the exact ‘CV rules’ hiring
managers look for.
Pros: This is by far the fastest and most
effective way to create your CV. There is
a wide selection of templates from classic
and clean styles to edgier and more
creative ones. There is truly something
for everyone.
Cons: You cannot adjust any of the styles.
If you think that you will need this kind
of control over visual elements, choose
option 1 or 2.
Complexity: 15-20 minutes of work.with its unique look, recruiters might
miss important information if it’s not
placed in an ideal location.
Complexity: 4-10 hours on average,
depending on your design skills.Option 2
ODesign your own portfolio website
using web-based site builders
You can use services like Squarespace or
Wix to build your own website. They offer
a col lection of ready-to-use site templates
that can be customised.
Pros: Online portfolio websites give you
greater opportunities to promote yourself.
Websites are search-engine optimised,
so your website might be indexed by
Google, giv ing you more of an oppor tunit y
to get noticed by employers and potential
clients alike.
Cons: These function more as online
portfolios and it’s worth bearing in mind
that some companies will only accept
printed CVs. I would recommend that you
know your audience before taking this
bold step!
Complexity: 3-5 hours of work on average.Menno is an entrepreneur from the Netherlands.
He is now CEO of Resume.io, one of the largest
PROFILEonline resume builders in Europe and the US.