Need help with my CV - how can I declutter it?

Question

I am only looking for a part-time job (3 days) but it seems that my CV has to look like I'm applying for CEO position!
Anyways, I had my CV reviewed for free and they just told me what I can improve. He said my CV has a really good layout and it's easy on the eye and I have a really good attention for detail but he asked me to change my profile and concentrate less on my personality and include more relevant skills (so instead of "I'm a team player" I should say that I am fluent in German or experienced in credit control if that was the case and is relevant for the position)

Then he asked me to not only list WHAT I have done in a company but what I have achieved there.

Well, the whole problem is, that I have done an awful lot of jobs due to moving around and bad economy in Germany (temping etc). Which doesn't leave a lot of space on my CV (should only be 2 pages). I read elsewhere that irrelevant job experience job shouldn't be included - of course I need to mention it to avoid gaps but should I just leave out the job description to have more space for my achievements in relevant jobs? Also, I haven't done anything that I think might be worth mentioning (maybe I did but to be honest I've just done my job and did what was right but that doesn't make me a hero - my jobs weren't that important..mostly office and retail)..Also, some of the jobs I want to apply for require certain experience which I've got but are basically listed on the bottom of the CV because I did it years ago. How can I bring it to the first page of my CV without missing out on important information in between?

Any idea?

Answer 1

Hi,



I have written an article on personal profiles you could review.



When you have moved a lot between companies you need to get away from describing what you did and focus on what you achieved. If you have not achieved anything relevant to job you apply for then don't waste your time elaborating on that specific job.



One of the things I teach my clients is to move all the job specific achievements and descriptions to the back and put a list with key achievements on page 1. You need to make sure the key achievements are relevant to the job you apply for.



When we talk about achievements think about what was the result of the work you did and how did it benefit your employer at the time.



If you like the article please leave a comment.

Nik

Answer 2

Hi



It can be hard to edit a long CV onto two pages – to do this without your CV looking like you are applying for a CEO job you can:



Also, some of the jobs I want to apply for require certain experience which I've got but are basically listed on the bottom of the CV because I did it years ago. How can I bring it to the first page of my CV without missing out on important information in between? – for this use your profile, starting by saying, as an example “experienced in ABC, while working for X company I achieved XYZ..” your profile is a great place to record what you have achieved that is required for the position you are applying for. You can add in experiences from all your relevant positions even job roles from several years ago



of course I need to mention it to avoid gaps but should I just leave – to delete gaps only record the years not the months on your employment history, this way your employment history will look full while deleting small periods of employment and irrelevant jobs. Alternatively you can summaries some of your positions, under headings such as “contract work” “part time jobs” “between xxx-xxx I worked for several companies as a xxxx position”



you can also look at the design of the CV, sometimes by rearranging the CV design/layout you can add more text but this can sometimes lead to a CV being to full and cluttered



hope this has helped and good luck

Answer 3

CVs are suppose to list all your education, experience and accomplishments. I have had discussions of tailoring CVs to specific positions and there are pros and cons. If you tailor your CV to a specific job opening by expanding the information that applies to the specific position and condensing the information you feel is irrelevant you are taking the chance of that CV surfacing when you are applying for a different type of position where the condensed information is the most relevant. A client recently applied for a position with a company where she applied for a job just out of college. When she went to the interview they had both her old and current resumes in her folder. Over the years she had embellished some of the information from college and she had to explain why the resumes contained different information.- Most people feel it is impossible to know what an interviewer will find interesting, and to omit or condense information is putting yourself at a disadvantage. On the other hand it makes sense that you should highlight the information that fits the position requirements at the expense of the irrelevant information. If you do this you will need to keep your facts straight and ensure that you can explain any differences between all versions of your CV. You can aggregate experience on your CV. For example - Retail sales associate Macy's, Sears, and KMart 2000-2001. Then be prepared to explain why you had three different jobs in a year.- Others feel there should only be one version of a current CV, and the cover letter should be used to highlight the information specific to the position you are applying. I tend to agree with the cover letter approach. That way the information on the CV not suspect. Take your time and choose your words and style carefully. Two pages should be plenty to list all your experience. In my opinion personal traits and attributes - such as team player- should not go on the CV, and are more appropriate in the cover letter. Good luck The PracticaL Mentor

Answer 4

1. Keep it concise

Usually a CV should be no more than two sides of A4 paper. Recruiters spend an average of just 8 seconds reviewing a CV – if you send them an encyclopaedic rundown of your career to date, they won’t find the information they want. Keep it punchy, to the point, and save the details for the interview.



2. Tailor it

Take the time to adapt your CV to each role you apply for. Research the company and use the job ad to gauge exactly which skills you should signpost and which aren’t perhaps so relevant.



3. Include a personal statement

Don’t assume a recruiter will see the connection between your experience and the job: use a brief personal statement to tie your work history to the specific company and role.



4. Don't leave gaps

Gaps make recruiters suspicious – if they spot something’s missing, they’re unlikely to give you the benefit of the doubt. If you’ve been out of work, put a positive spin on it - did you develop soft skills such as communication, teamwork or project management, for example?



5. Keep it current

You should update your CV regularly, regardless of whether you’re actively jobseeking. Every time something significant occurs in your career, record it so nothing slips through the memory sieve.



6. Ensure it's mistake-free

One of the easiest ways to weed out weaker CVs is to scan them for mistakes. David Hipkin, head of recruitment and resourcing at Reed Business Information, warns, “With most employers experiencing massive volumes of applicants right now, giving them the excuse to dismiss your application because of avoidable errors is not going to help you secure an interview.” Always use a spellchecker and ask someone else to proof your work.



7. Tell the truth

Never tell blatant lies on your CV as many companies will check the facts. And if they don’t, it’s likely you’ll get caught out at the interview stage instead – where any inconsistencies in your story will be ruthlessly probed.



8. Include compelling facts

Back up your achievements with numbers. When writing your work history, don’t just tell the recruiter you increased sales; tell them you increased sales by 70% over a six month period.



9. Make it look good

Spend time formatting your CV. Use bullet points and keep sentences short. Use the graphic design trick of leaving plenty of white space (around text and between categories) to make sure the layout is easy on the eye.



10. Make it keyword friendly

If you’ve uploaded your CV to a job site so recruiters can find you, keywords will be vital in ensuring they actually do. Universally understood job titles and sector buzzwords will help a search engine pick out your CV from the pile. So a marketing candidate might mention SEO (Search Engine Optimization), direct marketing and digital marketing among their experience and skills.



Good Luck