Are you writing your own CV, but not sure how to play your cards right?
Read these top tips to write an ace CV which trumps the competition and enables you to secure that all-important interview.
Organise your hand
Just as when you are playing a card game, one of the first things to do when writing your CV is to organise your hand.
In a card game, once you have been dealt your cards, it is good practice to file hearts with hearts, diamonds with diamonds, clubs with clubs and spades with spades. This brings clarity to your game, and the same is true of an organised structure in your CV.
Set out clear, well defined sections (for example, Profile, Objective, Key Skills, Experience, Education/Training, Additional Skills) which will enable you to organise your skills and experience in a logical way. This will make it easier for you in writing your CV and easier for the recruiter who is reading your CV.
Learn to play the hand you’ve been dealt
No-one can honestly claim that they’re perfect in every way, which means that you’re in the majority if there are aspects of your career that you’re unhappy with mentioning on your CV. This could be a period of unemployment, illness, a job you took which represented a step back or time spent in temporary contracts when you were seeking a permanent role.
Even if you feel that the deck has been stacked against you, don’t overplay it. I’m not advising you cover it up, but you don’t need to pour out your woes on your CV. My advice is to lay your cards on the table, simply stating the facts and no more. Call a spade a spade and be done with it. As they say: once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.
In many cases, an element which is causing you worry won’t cause the recruiter to bat an eyelid. Life happens. If your skills and experience are the right match, most will be more interested in what happens next.
Never bluff
If you are someone who likes to ‘play their cards close to their chest’, you may be tempted to leave off an element of your career history that you are uncomfortable with or you may decide to take credit for something that wasn’t really your achievement. After all, who is going to call your bluff?
The saying goes that ‘the truth will out’ and, certainly, building a CV that omits key facts or includes untruths can lead to a ‘house of cards’ effect.
Don’t be tempted to fudge your dates or embellish the facts, it will leave you with a residual worry that at any time your house of cards may topple and fall. Honesty is always the best policy.
Jack of all trades?
Some people show a tendency to ‘hedge their bets’ when writing their CV. These people aim for a generic overview which may catch the eye of many and open up a new opportunity, rather than a tailored CV which will definitely appeal to one specific target.
If you show yourself as a jack of all trades, chances are that the recruiter may see you as a master of none. Safe in the knowledge that you have many strings to your bow, you can afford to target and tailor your CV to each opportunity. Although it may be more time-consuming, it’s worth doing to get that all important first foot through the door.
How to play when you are holding all the cards
You’ve got great experience, your skills are exactly what the recruiter is looking for and you are pretty sure you are a cultural fit too. But does this jump out at the recruiter when they are reading your CV?
Even if you are fortunate enough to be holding all the aces, it is still important to plan your strategy to ensure your CV doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
I have seen CVs written by individuals with FANTASTIC experience, yet the wording and presentation of their CV lets them down. Your CV must convey your skills, expertise and experience in a professional, written, well-structured and visually appealing way. If you don’t do this, someone else with a sharper CV may get the interview you deserve.
“A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.”
Anything you can do to make it easier for the recruiter will pay dividends. As a minimum:
– Capture the interest of your target recruiter by tailoring your CV in light of identified job requirements, selecting and highlighting relevant experience and skills
– Use a structured and focused format with well-defined sections so that the recruiter can easily find the information they need
– Use clear, consistent formatting that doesn’t distract from the content (font size, type face, alignment etc.)
– Present your CV with enough white space to make it easy on the eye
Don’t be afraid to change suits
Things change. Your aspirations change, the market changes, your skills change as they evolve. So why would your CV stay the same?
The ground is continuously moving under our feet, whether we are propelling ourselves forward or being carried along by the tide. As such, you cannot afford for your CV to be a static document – it needs to be regularly updated and rebranded to encapsulate your ‘here and now’. And if that means a restructure, refocus or complete rewrite, then so be it.
Keep a card up your sleeve
If you are struggling to decide how much detail to give on your CV, then bear in mind the tactics used by professional card players. These players give just enough away to reel their competitors in, so that they are encouraged to engage and place their bets. Your CV should strive for the same, to reel in the recruiter so that they want to meet you and find out more. State your skills, experience and achievements on your CV, by all means, but when assessing whether to include the finer details, think to yourself ‘Does the recruiter need to know this now?’ If not, you can probably wait until the interview to explain further.
“Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.”
If you feel like a novice or a bit rusty when it comes to how best present the hand you’ve been dealt, contact us at enquiries@giraffecvs.co.uk for our expert advice.
Lis McGuire
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