Your CV: Why Your Experience to Date Is Just Not Enough

Take the average CV. Here's a snapshot:

1. Personal details

2. Executive summary (always good but only a handful of candidates seem to include this)

3. Professional experience (with some detail of each role performed, including dates)

4. Qualifications (professional, then university, then secondary school)

5. The fun stuff (a brief insight into your personality and interests)

That average CV tells me, and a recruiter, about where you've come from but it tells me very little as to where you want to go.

One of the most powerful additions you can make to your existing CV is a quick summary of where you'd like to take your career. It's a means to explain how the job you are applying for fits into your overall strategy and career plan. Not only does this forward-thinking demonstrate a care for your own professional progression, it also shows 'maturity' and 'leadership', both traits that recruiters and employers are looking for.

Here are some tips to finesse your CV:

1. Do the basics well: have a clean layout with plenty of white space around your words; keep your CV to 2 pages; use a legible font size; use your computer's spell checker first and then proof read it yourself.

2. Use a similar structure to that outlined above. Include an executive summary which should comprise of a few bullet points outlining your experience to date.

3. After your executive summary add a brief overview of your vision for your current and future career; 2-3 bullet points will suffice. Explain how the role you are applying for fits in and how it will be a stepping stone towards this future path. Offering even a rough idea of your career plan is a valuable, and must-have, addition to your CV.

- Rebecca


Read related posts written by Rebecca:

3 Questions To Help Your CV Stand Out From the Competition

The 5 Keyword Types To Use in your LinkedIn Profile

The Number 1 Mistake Women Make On Their CVs