Regardless of whether you are employed or actively looking for a new opportunity, it is always a good idea to have an up to date CV. See it as an organic document that you should be maintaining, especially as the right opportunity could knock at any given time and often unexpectedly.
Our recent survey shows that across the Creative, Marketing / PR / Brand / DM Agency, Digital Specialist / Agency, Client Side Marketing and Technology Sectors combined, 40.7% of employees are actively considering a career move right now, while 25.5% are passively job hunting.
Specifically within the Tech and Development sector, 73% of permanent employees are either looking or would consider an opportunity if the right thing came along.
To help keep your CV in top shape, we’ve provided a few quick fixes. Keep in mind that most employers receive and review more than one CV at a time. You need to stand out and cater for ‘skim readers’, a quick glimpse can often determine if someone reads on or moves on to the next.
Our quick fix tips:
Be concise, don’t waffle, grab the attention from the outset
Just as in ‘real life’, first impressions can determine whether or not you’ll get a foot in the door. Make sure to get to the point quickly – especially at the start. Open with what you offer that they really want.
Be proud (but not boastful) of your achievements and make a point of them
It is great if you have achieved big things, potential new employers will want to hear about them, definitely, but in the right way. It’s better to talk specifics: mention names of clients, size of projects, key involvements, success rates.
Typos and grammatical errors are a massive, massive no no
This is an obvious one, but because it seems obvious, it is often overlooked. Run a spelling and grammar check, but don’t rely on it. You don’t want to suddenly be labelled as expert in “pubic speaking” rather than “public speaking”. Spell check won’t pull you up on that typo. Sense check it, and if you can, ask someone else to also have a read.
Ensure your social media presence backs up the personality portrait on your CV
This one goes beyond the CV but is an essential quick check you should not skip. Make sure that your CV inclusions are reflected on your LinkedIn profile and also that you are comfortable with your potential future employer (and clients) seeing your other social media accounts that are publicly accessible.
This is by far not a definitive guide to “How to write a CV”, but if you have made a start, these should help you to fine tune. Should you need additional help or advice, feel free to get in touch with the team.
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