Your CV and Cover Letter are usually the first impression that a company or organisation gets of you, so you have to make it the best it can be. That means knowing how to make your achievements shine based on the field you wish to apply for. In this article about how to create the perfect CV & Cover Letter for your work field: useful tips, we’ll give you our best tips for nailing this phase of the job application process!
Employers spend around 20 to 30 seconds scanning your CV, so it needs to remain clutter-free and easy to read.
CVs are supposed to give basic information about you, your education, work experience, skills and achievements. Cover letters explain why you want that specific job and what makes you the right person for it.
EazyCity’s Top Tips for creating the perfect CV
Applying for a job can be quite daunting. It is difficult to sell yourself on paper to entice an employer to want to get to know more about you and your skills. Think of your CV as your ticket to get you onto the employment rollercoaster. You want to skip the queue, go straight to the fast lane and zip to the top of the line. Sit back and enjoy the ups & downs of job searching!
The Basics
It is not difficult to write a successful CV. It is a case of condensing your life experiences on paper and tailoring them the job that you are applying for. Here are some vital tips to creating a successful CV and securing that job.
There are common areas that should always be covered in a CV. These include;
- Personal & Contact Information
- Education & Qualifications
- Work History / Experiences
- Skills (Relevant to position Applying For)
- Interests
- Achievements
- References
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Presentation
An enticing CV should be clearly presented. If you are printing out your CV, keep on A4 crisp white paper. CV’s should never be folded!
Keep the layout clean and well structured to look at. Ensure there is good flow throughout the page.
The upper middle area of the page is where the employers eyes fall, so ensure your most important information falls here.
A4 X 2: ideal length for a CV
Keep the CV short and sweet. You should be able to make every point necessary and without having the need to waffle. Most employers will make a judgement about the CV in the first few sections. Ensure you capture the readers eye from the first word. Keep the CV to a maximum of 2 A4 size pages.
Job description
Have an understanding of the Job Description that you are applying for. The clues for the position are in the Job application so it is vital you are applying for a role that suits your skills.
Tailor
Make sure the CV that you send for a specific job is tailored to the role you are applying for. There is no such thing as a Generic CV. Employers want to see you have potential for that specific position. If you do not display the skills required for a specific role and the application has no relevance to the advertised position you can ensure your CV goes straight to the NO pile! Create a unique CV for each job you apply for.
Skills
Try and use certain key skills on your CV to make you stand out form the crowd. These could include: communication skills; computer skills; team working; problem solving or even speaking a foreign language. Think about things you enjoy to do in your spare time that has allowed you to grow and develop as a person and use these to entice the employer into wanting to get to know more about you.
Interests
Employers want to see you have a life as well! They are intrigued by a person’s interests and it is essential that you show off skills you have gained by your life experiences. You can describe examples of positions of responsibility working in a team or times when you show that you can use your own initiative. For example, a team captain or volunteer work you may have done.
Here is the time to make yourself sound interesting. Solitary hobbies like watching TV can perceive you as lacking people skills, so best to leave that out!
Experiences
It is essential that you use positive and assertive language under Work History/ Experiences. Use words like “Achieved” “Developed” & “Organised”. Try to relate the skills you possess to the job you are applying for. For example; “This position involved planning, organisation and leadership as I was responsible for a team of people”.
It is vital that you get to grips with the valuable skills and experiences you have obtained from past working positions. Every little thing helps!
References
Ensure you ask someone’s permission to include them as a reference on your CV. Not doing this could catch them off guard if contacted and they may not be able to provide you with a solid reference. References should be from someone who has employed you in the past and can vouch for your skills and experience. If you’ve never worked before you’re OK to use a teacher or tutor as a referee. Try to include two if you can.
Keep your CV updated
Ensure you review your CV on a regular basis and add any new skills or experience that’s missing. For example, educational courses you do or if you’ve just done some volunteering or worked on a new project, make sure they’re on there – potential employers are always impressed with candidates who go the extra mile to boost their own skills and experience.
Job Plan
Now that you have the relevant skills to create an amazing CV, EazyCity can provide help to prepare you for an interview. Our Job Plan service is the first step to guide you to the right position to secure a new career abroad. Our experienced employees can assist you to securing an interview and preparing you for the big day! We provide one on one interview simulations, information of working in Ireland for the first time and source suitable positions that suit your skills. For more information about our Job Plan packages, get in touch with us via Facebook!
