Make An Impact: All You Need To Write An Effective CV (Resume)

Get their attention then back it up… here’s how.

Is it time to dust off your CV and start applying to jobs again? Are you looking for your first job? Did you come across your dream job and you want to apply?

Whatever the reason is, CV (resume) writing is an art in itself. Gone are the days where you would just list all your tasks, hand the hiring manager a piece of paper and hope they hire you. With the aid of technology, it is important that your CV is with the times and accurately shows your achievements. This needs to be done succinctly but not in such a manner that you put the hiring manager to sleep. Read on for a complete guide on how to write an effective CV.

First Impressions Are Everything… or at Least VERY Important

‘Ladders’, a well known US job site, did a study in 2018 where they used eye-tracking software to find out how recruiters/hiring managers appraise the large numbers of CVs that usually come with any job opening.

There were 3 extremely important points that came out of this study.

1. Recruiters spend on average 7.4 seconds scanning and screening a CV before they commit.
2. Recruiters scan for headings, sub headings and job titles to build a picture in that 7.4 seconds.
3. The best performing CVs had clear and simple layouts.

Now that we know how important the first 7–10 seconds are, let’s dive into how you can take this knowledge and use it for yourself.

Formatting And Aesthetics

There is some leeway here depending on your industry. Nonetheless, your CV needs to be, if not stunning, at least easy on the eyes. Microsoft Word already has some fantastic templates. A quick google will also yield many sites such as https://resume.io/ that has a free built in CV builder with wonderful templates and the option to upgrade for greater access.

The rule of thumb here is that before you even put anything down, you need to make sure the template you are using has clear headings, sub headings and sections that the recruiter can instantly turn their attention to. It needs to be simple and not an eyesore.

One of my personal favourites is available on Microsoft Word (image below). It is simple, to the point and the colour and headlines pop out, making it insanely easy to follow and nice to look at.

The Basics

Before we talk about the ‘how’, let’s talk about the ‘what’. The following is what you need to include as headings.

Personal Details — It may be obvious but you need your name at the absolute minimum. That’s how you are identified. I like to put my name on top in large font then a smaller subtitle for your current role or industry. Next, you will need to provide your email, link to socials i.e. linkedin, or your address. This can go at the bottom as it is less important.

Personal Statement — Write a short blurb highlighting your key strengths and what you’re about. Keep this short, it’s not an essay. You are painting a picture. I.e. Experienced quality assurance and regulatory affairs specialist in medical devices. A critical thinker backed up by an educational background that blends medical science, health policy and healthcare administration.

Work Experience — You should have a subtitle (in bold) for each job you’ve had. Use your discretion for some of your roles though, for example, I would leave out ‘Part time work at Mcdonalds you did when you were a student for extra cash’ if you are applying to a corporate role. Only include what’s relevant.

Achievements — This is less important than your actual experience but can boost your application. Put down professional development such as a course you have taken with work or even self-directed learning i.e. Advanced Microsoft Excel Skills on Udemy’.

Education — After you have included the above, now list your education. You may wish to embelish on your degrees if the job requires it otherwise just keep it brief, especially if you’re not new to the workforce.

Hobbies & Interests — This is a contentious one. Use your discretion but personally I don’t even bother unless it adds some sort of value. For example, if you’re applying to be a ski instructor, you may need to include that you have been skiing since you were 5 years old. Otherwise, leave this to the interview if they ask. I play the piano but is this going to help me in an application for a Lab Assistant role? Probably not.

What ‘Value’ Do you/Can You Add?

Under the headings for job roles you’ve held, don’t just list the daily tasks. Highlight your achievments as part of your tasks and the result.

For example most people would write the following:

Validation Engineer — Help with validation activities as needed. Performed in-process checks.

Why don’t you reframe it with relevant information and talk about what and how you did your tasks. Your hiring manager is likely to know what your job spec or job description entails, but what did you do?

A better example would be:

Quality Assurance Engineer — Researched and sourced dye tests that conform to ASTM F1929. Used them to develop an in-house validation method and thus validated Fischbein brand heat sealers without using third party laboratory. $1000+ saving annually.

Implemented new procedure for in-process checks using AQL guidelines and delegated task once up and running. Cut down customer returns by 30% over 2 quarters.

Highlight Key Information That is Relevant

This is how you can link everything that was mentioned previously. Things you want to draw the readers attention to, you can do the following:

Bold text, top section/middle of page, separate it from the rest.

You want to highlight information that is relevant to the role you are applying to. There is merit in tailoring your CV, sometimes just tweaking it slightly for every role you apply to. You want to look at the job description in the ad then highlight the parts of your CV that is a direct fit.

If you want to go a step further, you can even research the company first and highlight things in your CV that may align to their ethos, their goals or what they produce/sell.

Summary

Writing a good CV is an art in itself. It’s not just about listing every single thing that has happened to you in professional life and adding in every single bit of extra info such as your hobbies etc. Recruiters simply don’t have the time to read all of it and as studies have shown, there is only a very small window from when the recruiter looks at your CV to them making a decision to interview you to find out more.

The CV should be treated as an overview, a teaser, or even just an opportunity to tick the boxes for the role and highlight any extras you can bring to the table. That’s all it is. It gets your foot in the door. The real work then starts with the interview where hopefully you will be able to really sell yourself when speaking to the hiring manager. If your CV could do it all then there would be no need for an interview.

Remember the following when writing your CV:

1. First impressions — make it look attractive, simple and easy to follow.
2. Go from order of importance. i.e. your details, your roles then your education and so on.
3. Demonstrate your value. What can you add? What can you help with? What have you done that also matches the job description? Don’t just list your tasks and your own job description.
4. Highlight relevant information to the role. Make it easy for the recruiters to tick their boxes.
5. Sit down and think about it. It’s a showcase of you as a person if whoever you’re showing it to only has 30 seconds maximum. It’s like reading a blurb for a book then deciding to commit or watching a trailer for a movie before going to the cinema.