Updating your CV
Keeping your CV up to date is one of the best ways to be prepared for a career opportunity and also helps you work towards your professional goals.
For some, it is easy to talk about their qualities in lengthy detail, but the majority of us are stumped when it comes to describing ourselves confidently. In today’s competitive job market, a little confidence goes a long way to projecting the right impression of your background and skills.
First steps
Writing your CV can be daunting if you don’t know what prospective employers are looking for, and especially if you haven’t been on the lookout for some time. A good idea is to read through job pages and scan the Internet for the kinds of skills organisations are looking for in your specific role. If you have been in the same position for a long time and are thinking about a change, you might be surprised by what they are expecting.
When you have found a job you want to apply for, it is important to tailor your CV to fit the role. You should always be honest about your experience, but you will appeal to employers more if you use their terminology and can demonstrate the relevance of your skills. For example, local governments do not always look for people from a public sector background.
If you have some private sector experience, it might be worth highlighting this in your CV. Similarly, they could want someone with very specific experience. If your background is more varied than this, you should ‘streamline’ your CV accordingly by explaining how you gained the required skills in other roles.
Vital information
All the information on your CV must be relevant - include the basics such as:
- name, address and contact details
- career history (most recent job first)
- education
- relevant skills
- availability or notice period
- your nationality or working visa details
- referees are optional but if omitted, stipulate 'available on request'
In some circumstances it is also worth including why you are looking to move from your current employer, why you are looking for a new role, and what type of company you are looking to join and why.
A good solid educational background, relevant qualifications or chartered memberships are desirable to new employers. Then provide details of the previous companies you have worked for and a brief synopsis of the duties carried out for them. On your most recent role/s, elaborate upon this by describing the types of projects carried out.
If you are a graduate, you may not have a great deal of work experience, although many graduates undertake day release or a year out in the industry. In this case, highlight the relevant skills that you gained in your course or on work experience. List each position in reverse order, so that the most recent appears first.
Next you need to make a brief list of core skills that would be relevant to a potential new employer, such as computer literacy and the software packages you have worked on. Language is very important in this section.
Using the same adjectives as those used in the advertisement is a good start, as is the ordering. If they require someone with ‘effective leadership and administrative abilities who must possess excellent interpersonal skills’, these should be addressed under your skills section in the same order, although not in verbatim!
Clear and concise
At the end, provide a brief flavour of your interests and hobbies. In all, your CV should be no longer than two pages and should be made up of key, concise bullet points. Don’t leave any gaps - if you took a year out, carried out an interim assignment or travelled for six months, say so. Otherwise potential employers could suspect the worst. It’s not necessary to include references in an application, but let them know you can provide them upon request.
Finally, don’t forget to check your spelling and punctuation. Remember, first impressions are key, so take the time to get it just right and your CV is bound to stand out from the crowd.
