Everyone’s talking about a spring clean at this time of year. Once your clothes and shoes have been packed away, will you give a thought to your CV?
You might have jazzed up your CV when you were looking for your last job, but have you thought about it since?! Chances are, you haven’t. This is your friendly reminder to dig it out and give it a spring clean.
You’re making life much harder for yourself by leaving it until you need it. And we’re all about making life easier, right?
Regularly updating your CV has two main advantages. One is that you make a note of your achievements and successes while they are fresh in your mind. No worries about forgetting what you did or misremembering the impact you had.
The other main reason you’ll want to spring clean your CV is that old adage: fail to prepare and you prepare to fail. If you update your CV after every big project or job, you’ll always be ready to seize an opportunity when it arises. No scrambling about to update your CV and frantically trying to remember what you did in a job 2 years ago.
So now I’ve convinced you that you should be updating your CV, let me explain the five main areas to focus on.
Back To Basics: A CV Checklist
Start with a quick read through of your CV to familiarise yourself with what you’ve written already. As you read, consider these five elements:
1. It’s all in the detail
Make sure your contact details are up to date. How is your future employer going to get in touch if your phone number isn’t right? Remember, you don’t need to include your full address. Your city/town location is more than enough.
Have you included your LinkedIn profile and made sure the link works? You should also check that your profile is up to date. It might be the first thing a prospective employer sees so make sure it shows off your talents. You can find some tips here.
2. Has the goal changed?
Have you had any new jobs since the last CV spring clean? Summarise the jobs and your key achievements. Remember to focus on what you achieved and the impact you had, rather than a list of duties. Focus on those most relevant to your target job.
Consider if you are still seeking the same type of roles in the same industry. If not, you may want to change the emphasis of your CV to focus on your chosen field. You should prioritise relevant achievements and discard any that are no longer relevant.
Have you used industry keywords throughout your CV? (Hint: You should!) Not sure what to include, read more about keywords here.
What about training and qualifications? Make sure this section is up to date and include all relevant training.
3. Are you making an impact?
You need to grab the recruiter’s attention from the first line of your CV. Bearing that in mind, does your professional summary need a face-lift? There might be some significant achievements or new roles you want to include. This is your main opportunity to sell yourself and your talents, so make it count!
4. ATS
If you haven’t already thought about Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), now is the time. If you don’t know what that means, fear not! ATS are computer programs designed to scan your CV for keywords. They determine how ‘relevant’ your experience is to the job you’re applying for.
Sounds daunting? It doesn’t need to be. You can read about them here and find out how to navigate them.
5. Finishing Touches
Once you have carried out the spring clean on your CV, walk away.
When you’ve had a break, give it another read through with fresh eyes. Even better, ask someone else to read it through for you, or read it out loud. Make sure your formatting is consistent, check for typos and grammatical errors.
Remember, a professional CV is error-free!
Once you’ve checked those elements and made any changes, it’s time to give yourself a big pat on the back. You’ve given your CV a spring clean and it is now ready to go when the next opportunity presents itself. Hurray!
If all of that sounds tricky, remember that a CV Writer like me can do the hard work for you.
Read about my services and packages here. You can also sign up for my newsletter to get regular tips and enjoy some snippets of my military life too.