If you are looking to change or advance your career in the future, then the chances are that you have taken the time to examine your existing CV. When applying for job roles, your CV is the primary way of demonstrating your abilities and catching the eye of prospective employers – so it’s important that yours is as good as it can possibly be.
There are plenty of online guides that can help you write your CV already, so this post focuses on the elements of it; the actual facts that you can include about yourself, your experience, and your education. Here is a list of three things that are sure to stand you in good stead when it comes to applying for jobs in the future…
Unique Extra-Curricular Activities
Most people include a small, personal section on their CV that discusses their interests; while not essential, this can be an opportunity to show a depth of personality that is difficult to achieve elsewhere in the document.
However, it is best to include interests that are relatively unique. Recruiters see thousands of CVs with the interests detailed as reading books, watching movies, or spending time with friends – so be a little more original, opting for interests that are specific to you, and won’t be shared by every other applicant.
Further Education Courses
While it is always useful to have a strong academic background to include on your CV, this can be somewhat limiting, especially if you completed your education many years ago.
Recruiters like to see that an applicant has sought to continue learning, even when their formal education is complete. There are thousands of courses you can take that will look fantastic on your CV; from broad modern topics such as the Google online courses with Squared Online to more niche topics such as aromatherapy. Even if the course you choose isn’t particularly specific to your career, it will still boost your CV, as it serves to demonstrate a quality that all recruiters look for in applicants: a desire for self-improvement.
References
Over recent years, CV trends have led to more and more people stipulating that “references are available upon request”. While this is not outright damaging, it is rather restrictive, and requires extra work on behalf of the recruiter.
It is preferable to list two references on your CV at the time you submit it to a company. If you are not comfortable supplying full contact details, then just include an email address and make a note to say further details can be provided if required. Most recruiters will appreciate your transparency and the fact that you have sought to make their job easier by providing this information upfront, and they may look upon your application favourably as a result.
In conclusion
If you manage to include the above three things on your CV, then you hopefully have more chance of catching the eye of recruiters as you seek to change your career for the better. Good luck!
*This is a collaborative post.