Guest post: Beth Leslie
If you’ve ever been looking for a job, you’ll probably have heard the maxim “treat job hunting like a full-time job”. This is good advice but pretty much impossible to follow, especially if you’re also studying or working elsewhere.
Unfortunately, you really do need to spend time perfecting your CV if you want to find a job.
Don’t have hours free to spend tinkering with your CV? How about a minute? Here are 13 one-minute tips which will each substantially improve your CV in the time it takes to boil a kettle.
1. Download Grammarly
These days, the vast majority of CVs are sent via the internet. Grammarly, which is like a beefed-up version of Microsoft Word’s spellchecker, will ensure that the spelling and grammar of everything you write online is correct. This is particularly crucial to ensure those online application forms and the emails that accompany your CV are typo-proof. Grammarly also explains why it’s putting that annoying red line under your words, which helps you pick up on repeated mistakes.
2. Scan example CVs
Actually reading example CVs is a great way to get ideas to improve your own CV, but if you’re pressed for time you can still gain a lot from quickly scanning through them. Search online for example CVs and you’ll quickly get an idea of the layout qualities they share, despite being for completely different industries. It is these common elements that you should use to improve your CV, because they’re likely to be the ones that actually work!
3. Channel Chanel
Once you factor in your degree, internships, part-time jobs and other extra-curricular activities, it’s amazing how much stuff you can have to cram into your CV. Watch out though – CVs are often ignored because they’re too cluttered, and CVs over two pages long are the original TL;DR.
For a solution look no further than Coco Chanel, who once famously remarked: “Once you've dressed… look in the mirror and take at least one thing off.” Do the same thing with your cluttered CV – pick the weakest paragraph and just cut it out. Trust us, less is more!
4. Delete your date of birth
Not only is it taking up all-important space, it’s completely irrelevant. (The only exception is if you’re applying for an age-specific role, such as selling alcohol.)
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