7 tips to get your CV ready for the 2023 job market!
A new year brings with it excitement for new challenges, tasks and adventures and for some that may mean wanting to sink your teeth into a new role. For most of us, that would lead to a feeling of dread about dragging out the old CV or worse yet, having to start from scratch. Here are a few tips to help make that task a little bit more manageable.
1. Stick to the facts
While CVs give us the perfect opportunity to boast about our achievements, this is not the time to go into fictional writing. Stick to the facts and make sure you focus not only on what you did, but what you have achieved. Reflect on the outcomes of your action, did you smash those sales targets, improve the customer experience or make a real impact in the culture of the organisation? Awesome! Let’s focus on those, remember to keep bullet points short, sweet and to the point.
2. Keep it brief
In the spirit of keeping things short, sweet and to the point, limit your CV to 2 – 3 pages depending on your experience. Elaborate on experience in the last 5-10 years with the most recent roles making up the bulk of the document. Include a summary of past experiences but don’t waste valuable real estate on something you achieved 10+ years ago, the landscape has changed and so have you.
3. Numbers count
Numbers stand out in a word document, and you want to keep your achievements as quantifiable as possible. Think about specific figures – did you increase revenue by 20%, boost online engagement by 75% or exceed monthly targets by $50 000 each month? Amazing, now include those figures and grab that recruiter’s attention by showing exactly how big an impact you can have in your next role.
4. Authenticity is key
Businesses hire people not CVs, so make sure your CV is an authentic representation of who you are and what you have achieved. Incorporate your values and beliefs into the document, whether that reflects the importance you place on workplace cultures, empowering team members or company loyalty. If it is important to you, find a way to weave it into your CV.
5. Include a cover letter
Most advertised jobs ask for a cover letter and the mistake most people make is simply summarising their CV. A cover letter should be an introduction into who you are and what you can offer this particular organisation, focus on the personal approach here by explaining what drives you to succeed and how this will benefit the business and then move into highlighting how you meet their criteria and more. Limit this to ½ to 1 page and remember to include 1 or 2 examples of key achievements within the body of this letter.
6. Looks matter
Everyone knows the average screening time each CV goes through with a recruiter and with more competition in the market, it is more important than ever to have a CV that stands out.
Get creative with your CV by including a dash of colour and ensure the design is easy on the eye. Think of ways to best utilise the valuable real estate of your CV while ensuring key information is easily accessible – think personal skills and key areas of expertise.
7. Hire a professional
It is no secret that writing your own CV is a daunting task and sometimes it takes an outside perspective to really see what you have achieved in your career. CV writing services usually start off with a consultation call between the writer and the client, during which time the writer is able to guide the client in defining their next steps, future aspirations and key skills. From there an initial draft is created and the writer will work with the client to ensure all content is accurate and a true reflection of them.
Kerri Wilson from DK CV Writers has crafted interview-winning CVs for over 500 clients across New Zealand and Australia and continues to support her clients by not only creating industry-targeted CVs but also helping them understand where their strengths lie and what value they can add in their next roles. For more information on engaging a CV writer please email kerri@cvwriters.co.nz or click here to view the services on offer.