What makes a perfect Curriculum Vitae? It’s a burning question asked by many job-seekers worldwide. There are also many other questions that arise when building a resume. We have answered the most common CV questions below.

How long should my CV be?

Most recruiters generally receive a mountain of applications for a specific role so it’s important to make yours instantly readable. Limiting your CV to 1-2 pages by using bullet points, sub headings and short sentences is the generally seen as best practice. The idea is to structure it in a way that the recruiter will quicken their decision as to whether to hire you or not.

Which kind of information should I include?

The key here is quality over quantity. Believe it or not it’s actually possible to present a finely polished resume without over elaborating on the detail. It’s wise to start with a brief summary about who you are and the experience that you possess.

Then keep it to the important stuff; include your contact information, education, skills & accomplishments and of course your work experience (if applicable). Also make sure to include keywords that have been added in the initial job description posting which will help your resume show up quicker when scanned using scanning software.

What about employment gaps?

Many of us have found ourselves out of active employment as some stage of our working lives for a variety of reasons. What many employers will want to know is, what were you doing during the time.

While it can be difficult to explain a break in a employment one should look to explore other ways to fill in the gaps. This could range from being a stay at home parent to voluntary experience at a local charity or sports club.

I have limited working experience, what do I do?

This is a common question for those taking their first steps on the professional ladder. Many graduates will have very little or no working experience by the time they leave their educational studies.

While this may seem off putting in terms of trying to finds employment it’s worth remembering that it’s not just paid experience, life experience counts also. Focus heavily on your skills & educational achievements.

Outline any activities that you may of been involved in also, such as the student union or any voluntary work you may of participated in. Even the smallest things can count as good experience in the long run.

Why are keywords so important?

Much like technology has evolved, the job hunting process has also with recruiters now using databases to scan through the litany CVs that come in on a daily basis.

So it’s an inevitable fact that despite the time we take constructing a perfect resume, the average recruiter will spend less than 10 seconds reviewing it before deciding to consider your application.

This is why it is crucial to use the right keywords in order for your resume to get a look in. The more relevant the keywords to the opening position, the more likely that your CV will show up more frequently.

Let’s say for example you’re applying for the following job opening “General Manager with a strong retail background wanted for a busy Cafe” The keywords “General Manager” “Cafe” & “Retail” should be included where possible. This will help the recruiters find you CV more efficiently and will offer an edge over the other applicants.

We hope you find these tips helpful during the interview process.

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