Ok, so you know there’s a correct way to format your CV but aren’t sure which format to follow in 2021? Then this post is for you. Here are the most important sections to include in your CV and a free CV template to download.
- Always include a picture
Especially now as most work is done remotely with video calls and presentations, it is important to include a picture. This is part of your personal branding and can help the recruiter see if your natural presentation fits the company culture and image. The best way to include your picture is in a circular frame in the top left hand corner of your CV. Keep if professional, business casual and with a neutral background allowing your face to be the focal point of the picture.
- Separate your work experience from your education and skills
1. Make sure you separate your work experience from your education and skills. You should have a column on the left hand side where you put your contact details, education, languages and skills. Then a bigger middle section with your work experience. This separation allows for quick reading and the ability for recruiters to distinguish between your experience and educational preparation for work.
- Include a headline and personal profile section before your work experience
These extra sections will help you target your CV more accurately to the job you are applying to. Always adapt your headline to the job you are applying to. For example if you have experience in digital marketing and are applying to a performance marketing specialist role, change your headline to match the job title keywords, performance marketing specialist. This will help your CV rank higher in the keyword scanning systems recruiters use and increase your level of targeting to the job. The personal profile section should go underneath your headline, just before the work experience section. The personal profile should be a short 3-5 lines maximum summary of your experience, areas of expertise, and what you would bring to the future position you are applying to.
- Add references
References add credibility to your experience and can help you stand out as a star candidate. The best references to include are from managers or from a direct colleague you worked closely with that you were able to achieve or improve important aspects of the business with. You should include the reference’s name, email address and a phone number so that the recruiter can easily reach them. Make sure to only add references that will have positive things to say about your previous work experience and be selective to include ones that have had the best experiences working with you. This will help your CV have a competitive advantage and perform better than CVs without any references.
- When referring to the strengths or skills you have, use words instead of scales
A lot of CVs when for example referring to skills such as level of proficiency with Photoshot or fluency in a language use a number of dots and add or subtract dots to represent the levels. This can be misleading for a recruiter as it’s difficult to distinguish the difference in proficiency between 3 or 4 dots. It would be better to use the phrases, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and native or expert when referring to a skill. This will avoid confusion for recruiters when evaluating your scale of competency with a certain skill or language proficiency.
Feel free to use all of the strategies above to improve your CV as well as the free template and you will get results. If you need more personalized help, check out our CV editing service where a professional with experience in recruitment will edit your CV and optimize your experience to stand out for your field in the 2021 job market. Good luck with your job search!
