CV Building Tips: How to Shine on Paper

Resumes are an extremely important document because your job application is depends on them. They are your first impression on a potential employer. Your resume is the first thing that a recruiter uses to determine whether you would be a good fit for the position that you have applied for. That is why it is important to reflect your credentials in the best possible light on your CV.

Our experts have extensive experience in writing resumes for different professionals and we have rounded up a few key tips that we believe can make any resume stand out. If you want to shine on paper, then this is a quick guide for you.

List Most Relevant and Recent Experiences First

The key to an excellent resume is to list your experiences beginning with the most recent ones. If you've worked at multiple places so far, it would be beneficial for you to list the most recent and most relevant experiences before moving on to the rest.

For a young professional, it is best to have a one-page resume that captures your professional experiences and academic achievements. If you have completed multiple internships, then highlight the most relevant ones to ensure that they all fit on one page.
For a mid-senior level professional, a resume of two or even three pages is acceptable. However, two pages are ideal.

Highlight Your Achievements

When you're listing your experience, make sure you add a few points about the responsibilities you had when you were working in that position. The best way to utilize this space is to focus more on the tangible outcomes you achieved instead of designing your role generically. Highlight how your presence brought value to the organization.

This will help you stand out to the recruiter and will also give them a clear idea of your work ethic, skills, and ability to achieve goals. Make sure you mention all the promotions or recognitions you received. In case you're a fresh grad, highlight your academic achievements or any scholarships that you may have received.

Make it Look Professional

As much as the substance of the CV is important, it is equally important for it to have a professional design and structure in order to catch the attention of the recruiter. Giving it a professional structure will leave a great impression on the person who is vetting candidates. Go for minimal and simple designs that aren't overwhelming.

Sometimes candidates tend to go overboard with distracting colors and visuals. Therefore, it is important to maintain a certain balance in order to ensure that your CV looks neat, professional, and organized.

You can also hire professional services to create and design your CV. That way you will not have to worry about designing the whole thing or figuring out what is appropriate. There are also many resources out there that you can use to do this on your own. Several free resume-building websites and platforms, such NovoResume can be a good starting place for job seekers who don't have the experience to design layouts.

The features on these websites are easy to use and you can choose from a variety of free templates to create your own CV. We highly recommend having a look at these tools if you're thinking of creating your own CV.

Don't Overdo it

Candidates often get carried away when drafting their resumes because they want to capture every single detail about their work and experiences. However, it is very important to remember that your resume is only supposed to be a summary of your relevant professional experiences. It's also important to keep in mind that you'll have to edit your resume a bit for every job you apply for. Not all experiences are going to be relevant for all positions, so it's best to tailor your resume for each job you are applying for.

Why is it Important to Build an Impressive CV?

In simple terms, a good CV is your ticket to interviews. As obvious as it may sound, your resume is the most important resource you have for getting that anticipated interview call. Your resume is the only insight the recruiter has on you at an early stage of the recruitment process, so it is absolutely essential that it reflects the best of you.

You need to ensure that your resume is structured neatly and has a professional design. The other thing that you have to make sure of is to send an updated resume. It can also really benefit you to tweak your resume to make it more relevant for the job that you're applying for.

Most companies provide a job description along with the recruitment details. Make sure that you study it carefully and identify the skills that they are looking for. Based on that, you can tailor your resume to reflect the skills that are relevant. This small step can help you stand out to the recruiter immediately, and you will be much more likely to get that interview call.

Final Thoughts

An impressive CV isn't only about the visuals, but about the way, you reflect your experiences and organize your data. CV making is a process that requires careful work, but it doesn't have to be a hassle. You can make your CV by incorporating a few simple tips.

With the tips that we shared above, you can create a simple yet impressive CV that lands you that job interview you really want. If you need professional assistance with building your CV, you can reach out to us at YMCA of Greater Toronto for FREE Employment support Services.

This guest post was written by Vincent Taylor.