How to Create an Attractive CV?

As you enter the job market, you first learn to make an attractive curriculum vitae (CV), a Latin term. With how competitive the world is today, you must ensure that your CV is up-to-date, attractive to the eye and stands out from the rest of the applicants. As the CV is the first impression a potential employee receives about you, you must include the best skills and experience to get shortlisted. The length of your CV, the language you use, and how you present everything are essential aspects to pay significant attention to. This article will explain how you should approach when creating your CV.

First Things First: Is A CV and Resume the Same Thing?

Most people believe that a CV and a resume are the same things. In reality, however, the two, although they may have similar features, are different. They could be different in terms of content, length and sometimes, even purpose. Keeping in mind that the direct translation of the word is ‘the course of your life’, a CV captures all of your accomplishments, including your academic qualifications, prizes, professional experience, and papers or books published. In other words, your CV is meant to be packed with information in comprehensive detail. 

On the other hand, a resume is more specific to a particular job you are applying for. This also means, instead of merely listing out all of your achievements, you would be selective of what should be included. This is because resumes are meant to be very short, emphasising the skills you have acquired. Hence, while you could include the same job experience in a CV and resume, the biggest difference is that your CV will list all of your roles and responsibilities, whereas a resume will only include those that you feel fit the job description.  

Tips to Keep In Mind When Creating A CV

Having the right CV template is important. It should strike the right balance between being informative yet precise and having a clean template yet simultaneously attractive to the eye. Here are some ways to polish up your CV.

Noting the Essentials and Removing the Unnecessary

It is always advised to start your CV with the essential details. Your name, address and contact details which can include both your phone number and email, are points whose placement within the document plays an important role.  Hence, including it on your first page on top is said to be the most effective. Double-check the contact details you enter, as they need them to communicate with you. It is also recommended to add the country code when stating your number, especially if you are applying for an international corporation.  

Some individuals tend to wonder whether other personal details are important. For instance, should you also include your national ID or passport number? It is of the utmost importance that you avoid such information. This includes even when you are applying for a job overseas. Such information is sensitive in nature, and while you would apply for jobs on the basis that they are a good company, there could be instances where such information can be used for dangerous purposes. No matter how reputed a company is, there is no rule that requires you to include such details.

Additionally, you may add your date of birth if you want to. One reason why people say this is necessary is that certain jobs may prefer a specific age. Rather than being called into an interview which you put a lot of time and effort into preparing, only not to be considered or accepted on the basis of your age, specifying this would make it a more transparent process.

You May Include Your Social Media

In recent times, however, people have also started to add to their social media. Note that the only appropriate social media to incorporate would be your LinkedIn Account. However, this is not a mandatory need. If you choose to do this, however, ensure you have updated your profile and that it matches the information you have inserted in your CV. If you are unsure whether you should insert your account, here are the common reasons why a person would:

  • Since the CV length restricts you from adding all your accomplishments, you will need to pick and choose what is best suited. Your LinkedIn, however, is rarely customised and allows you to add as many experiences as possible. This allows companies to assess what other industries you have worked in and what unique skills you could bring to the organisation.
  • Suppose you have an active account where you share good content demonstrating your confidence and intellect. It may be acceptable to include your account handle to help a potential employer understand your personality. Are you generally a motivated person? Your language fluency, creativity and engagement are other aspects that will help them understand whether you would fit into their company values and vibes. 

 LinkedIn also has additional features which are not typically included in your CV. For instance, past clients could provide recommendations on their experience working with you, or your colleagues could endorse skills according to the talent level they believe you possess. While this aspect is meant to be covered through the references you include in your CV, a company that checks your CV in advance would know to a certain extent how good you are in certain respects.

Give Some Thought to Your Objective or Introduction

The objective of the introduction section of your CV must be featured before noting down your professional work experience and educational qualifications. This short paragraph should ideally only have a maximum of three sentences. As a rule of thumb, remember your entire CV is an introduction itself. This section of the CV should, therefore, present the key highlights of your most valuable skills as a professional. You do not need to talk about any of your experiences. Take, for example, a person with over six years of experience in a particular industry. The number of years you have in a specific field is a piece of information not explicitly stated anywhere else in your CV. Hence, adding this fact to the objective/introduction section will put you at the top of the shortlisted candidates. 

Stating an attention-grabbing highlight along with your core values would be enough. Feel free to bold keywords in your objective to emphasise specific vital points. The key thing to remember is to refrain from repeating any points mentioned elsewhere in your CV. Note that this is an aspect of your CV you will change depending on what you are applying for. For instance, those who are changing fields may particularly find the inclusion of an objective/introduction helpful. 

Should CVs have Colour?

People often wonder whether being professional means simply noting all information on a white background in a formal font. While the latter is essential, it is not unprofessional if you choose to add some different colours. However, do not attempt to use multiple colours. Instead, as numerous CV professionals recommend, stick to a maximum of two colours. You could have a solid colour or use a background with two colours. It should be noted the type of colour you do use dictates your level of professionalism. Choosing colours like blue, black and grey are stated to be better, while pink and red should not be used in such a document. 

While you have more options when adding a background colour, the same cannot be said for the font. Depending on the background, it is always advised to keep the font colour black or white. With formal fonts, you are merely required to avoid cursive-styled fonts, although you can use the font sizes to provide more structure. For instance, using a bigger font for company names and educational qualifications and a smaller font to explain any subpoints reads well. Make use of the bold, underline and italicise functions if you findit difficult to use font sizes to structure your CV. Whichever you choose, make sure to be consistent. One important thing that you to always keep in mind when looking at the stylistic aspects of a CB is not to overbear the content of the CV. This means choosing templates not based solely on how attractive it is but on whether it gives you the space to include all the necessary information.

Be Mindful of Who You Add As Your References

Every time you apply for a job, you have to include a minimum of two references. It is important that they are, firstly, not related to you, and secondly, they know who you are. While not every job position will result in your potential employer calling your previous places of employment, the more senior your position is, the higher the chance they will do so. This is because a senior position will potentially mean your prospective employer is giving you a high workload with sensitive company information. No matter how well the job interview went, at the end of the day, your new prospective employer barely knows you. This is why they need a third party to confirm that you have the right work ethic to handle your new workload. It is also a method used to confirm whether the information you have inserted in your CV is accurate. Any negative reflection from their interaction with your previous workplace may detrimentally hinder you from joining the company. As this highlights the weight given to the reference people inserted into your CV, you need to make sure they are someone who is senior in the company and is possibly your supervisor. Only someone who has closely worked and monitored your progress can give an accurate and possibly positive overview of your experience at their workplace. 

If you have worked in multiple companies and have to select only two, always choose the last two companies where you held the highest position. It does not make sense to keep inserting the contact details of a supervisor in the  company you did your internship with when applying for a managerial position. Instead, you should be inserting the last company you held a managerial position or, if it is the first time you are applying for such a role, at an executive level. 

A Well Thought-out CV Speaks of Your Character

While a CV is only a two-page document, it holds enormous significance. It is part of what keeps you from getting your dream job one day. Hence, putting more effort into how your CV should look and what it should include are important aspects. In a world with many experienced and qualified people, take the extra step to be meticulous, even in the small details. Although a good CV will not guarantee a position, it gives you an edge over other job candidates in the same position.