Your CV is something that can make or break your chances at a job. It is the first thing that a recruiter will ask for and if it is messy and full of errors, they will mark this against you. Even if your CV is aesthetically not great, they may not even get down to reading about all of your skills and experience, simply tossing it aside. So, here are some simple dos and don’ts that you can use to give your CV the best chance of securing you an interview as a student.
Do Use A Template
There are hundreds of free CV templates online for you to use. A template can give students a great basis for how to start creating a CV. Starting from scratch is much harder and you are more likely focus on irrelevant aesthetic issues rather than the actual words you need to get on there.
Once you have inputted all your content, then you can go back through your CV and tailor it to represent you more. This can be through font choices (see point six), colour or maybe even moving the layout around slightly. You want your CV to represent you, but whilst also getting across the relevant information.
Some applications specify how they want your CV and cover letter to be laid out, so be sure to adapt your CV for each job, if this is required.
Don’t Copy The Job Description
You may have to keep adapting your CV for different applications, which can get tiresome. However, do not take to copying the wording from each job description. This can make your CV look unprofessional and as though you haven’t tried.
For example, if the application wants to someone who can “work well in a large team and take charge when needed”, do not copy this into your CV. You could try to incorporate it into your cover letter or weave it into your skills section.
Do Keep It Short
Recruiters may see hundreds of student CV’s for the same position and so will be on the lookout for any reason as to not read a few. Ideally, you want your CV to fit on one or two A4 sides. If it spills across two, print it double sided.
When reading your CV, recruiters are looking for clear, key information to jump out at them, so be sure to keep it as short and concise as you can.
Don’t Use A Photo
If you are trying to fit your educational past, skills, work experience, references and a bit about yourself onto one page, space is going to get tight quickly. So, anything that isn’t needed on there has to be left behind. This includes a photo of yourself. It will add no value and simply wastes space.
In some cases, this could also result in gender, race or age discrimination.
Do Keep It Clear
Of course, you want to make your CV unique to your and your personality, however recruiters need to be able to read what you have written. If they look at your CV and cannot immediately read what you have written, then it will be tossed aside.
Classic font such as Times new roman, Ariel or Calibri are a great go-to. Fancier fonts can make your CV look overcrowded and messy and then the recruiter is much less likely to even read your application.
Don’t Forget To Proofread
It is easy to make spelling mistakes or grammar errors when you are typing for a long time, so be sure to go back and proofread your CV. If your application has frequent errors in it, the recruiter is likely to think that this is bad quality in you and mark it against you.
You CV is your first impression to a recruiter, so you want to do as much as is within your power to make sure that it is a positive one.
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