In days when you have time on your hands, you would not spend better time than to review your Resumé (Curriculum Vitae – CV), update it and make it ready for internal promotion, external job opportunities and/or a job/career change.
Niamh Brennan from Cpl says that no matter how long it’s been since you did it before, it can be hard to know where to start, so she has shared five simple ways on how to update your Resumé.
In Cpl, they receive hundreds of Resumé’s every day. They know what works, what doesn’t and what will get you noticed by employers for the right reasons.
- Get inspired by your LinkedIn
When you’re not actively looking for a job, you’re unlikely to open your Resumé and update it each time you have success in work. However, you’re a lot more likely to add updates to your LinkedIn profile in real-time.
When the time does come when you’re searching for a job review your LinkedIn and see if there’s any good information there that could be added to your CV. You might be surprised at how reading through your own professional history can jog your memory.
- Simplify the structure of your Resumé
How you present a Resumé can have a big impact. You want your Resumé to be as readable as possible, and easy to digest at a glance. To do this use:
- A regular font – Calibri (Body), Arial or Veranda are all good options
- Bullet points instead of paragraphs and numerals instead of written numbers
- Headings and bold text to make important information stand out
- List information in chronological order
- Save your Resumé as a Word doc, but send it to prospective employers/recruitment agencies on a PDF
Put time into simplifying format and design and you’ll create a Resumé that can be easily read by a recruiter or potential employer. Hiring managers tend to prefer a simple CV, so save yourself time and focus on content rather than design.
- Emphasise achievements
Avoid including unnecessary and lengthy details, instead emphasise results and achievements rather than daily tasks. A Resumé should highlight skills that make you attractive to interview.
This could be successful projects you worked on, awards you have won or any impactful problems that you solved. Again, use specific examples that showcase your technical knowledge, and statistics and figures that clearly back your achievements up.
- Update your education section
Continuous learning is becoming more and more important, so don’t forget to update your education section with any relevant courses you’ve completed during your career. For example:
- On-Line courses
- Night classes
- Internal training programmes
- Certifications
By keeping your education up to date, you are showing your commitment to continuous learning and a passion for the industry you work in and the work you do.
- Write a simple to the point Bio
It might seem old fashioned or unnecessary, but a good bio can make all the difference. Distinguish yourself from other candidates by telling your prospective employer who you are, what you do and what your objectives are for your next role. If you don’t know where to start here are some things to consider mentioning:
- Why do you do what you do?
- What’s your current role?
- Any notable accomplishments that are relevant to the job you’re applying for
- Depending on the company/job – something a little more personal that shows you’re a good cultural fit
When writing your bio keep it concise and always edit with the position you’re applying for in mind.
Taking the time to update your Resumé properly could mean the difference between landing a job interview or not. Spend time on it.
Another old but good Resumé tip is to list your achievements, big and small on a piece of paper. This will help you to recognise the value in things you’ve done that you might have forgotten about. Things like managing staff, training new staff, organising schedules, handling cash for example.
You can then use this brainstorm as a base for updating your Resumé with any relevant points and accomplishments. Finally, remove any outdated skills or information you no longer want to highlight and proofread then proofread again.
Initial source: cpljobs.com