Boring CV? Here are six steps to liven up your CV and get you noticed.

Posted: 31^st May 2016

Far too many CVs lack personality, verve and vitality.  Use these six steps to inject liveliness and enthusiasm into your CV and grab the attention of employers.

1. Layout: Clutter is claustrophobic. Make sure there is plenty of white space to   allow your reader to ‘breathe’.  Achieve this with clear headings, spacing between paragraphs and an open font (like this one). Bullet points are brilliant.
2. Lively words and phrases: use verbs and adverbs with movement and feeling. Say what you ‘enjoy’, ‘look forward to’, are ‘good at’, ‘find rewarding’, ‘have achieved’. This is a much livelier and more interesting way of writing about your work than merely stating what you do – such as ‘deal with’, ‘handle’, ‘administer’, ‘file’, ‘manage’.
3. KISS – the old adage Keep It Short and Simple: two pages is the maximum for a CV – one page is even better.
4. Use plain English: plain English is saying what you mean using short sentences, simple language and words with fewer syllables. It does not mean writing like a child but it does mean the reader can understand something the first time they read it. Your prospective employers will quickly read your CV on paper or on a screen – so make it easy for them. Use plain English and your CV will be crystal clear and concise.
5. Be relevant: we all have stories to tell – but your CV is not the place to tell them.  Don’t give all the background – give the outcome or result.  An employer is going to be interested in how you make a difference.  If it’s a customer service job – write about how you improved customer service.  If it’s a team leader’s job – write about how you increased the productivity and morale of your team.
6. Activities and Hobbies: we tend to use ‘safe’ outside interests – like reading, cinema, football – because we don’t want to be controversial. That’s sensible.  You can, however, add detail to an interest that will catch someone’s eye and make them think of you as someone with a bit more about you.  For example, ‘enjoy reading, particularly books on famous leaders’ or ‘enjoy running and am preparing for my first half marathon next month’ or ‘chair the school PTA and raised £5000 this year towards a new minibus’.

Follow these six steps and transform your CV!  Good luck with your job hunting…

Judith Poulteney (www.judithpoulteney.co.uk) is a specialist independent consultant offering one-to-one advice on CVs and covering letters, LinkedIn profiles, job and university applications and interview skills.