Craft your path to success with a winning CV. Before hitting submit, ensure your CV shines by highlighting your skills and experience. Here's your pre-launch checklist for a professional, polished, and targeted CV that will make you stand out from the crowd.
1. Ensure the spelling, grammar and formatting are correct
A CV with spelling and grammar mistakes can quickly turn off a potential employer. Reviewing your CV for any typos or grammatical errors is a critical step in the job application process. While spell-checkers can be helpful, they won't catch everything, so it's important to read your CV carefully and make sure that it's free of errors. If you're not confident in your spelling and grammar, consider having a friend or family member review your CV or hiring a professional to help. Always remember to check that your CV has consistent font, spacing, and margins throughout, and that it's not cluttered or difficult to read.
2. Fill in the gaps and explain your reason for leaving your previous position
Employers carefully consider your job history to assess if you're a good fit. They're looking for reliable, hard-working individuals, and training new hires can be expensive, so gaps or frequent changes raise questions. Be upfront and clear about any job transitions beyond your control, like layoffs, career breaks you took for personal reasons, or even fixed-term contracts where you filled a temporary role. When discussing your background, answer questions about these transitions thoroughly. Many working women, take career breaks for various reasons. Include these breaks on your CV to show how you spent that time, giving employers a more complete picture of your experience.
3. Make sure your contact Information is correct
Ensure your resume shines by featuring clear and accurate contact details at the top. This includes your full name, professional email address, and phone number. Proofread your details carefully to avoid typos and stay clear of unprofessional usernames.
4. Tailor your CV to the position you are applying for
Boost your interview chances by customising your CV for each position you apply for. Start by analysing the job description. Identify the skills and experiences they require, then showcase how you possess those exact skills in your CV. Always add relevant accomplishments and achievements that demonstrate your qualifications for the job. Make it crystal clear why you're the perfect candidate; Recruiters and employers do not have the time to try and piece together why your skills may be a match, you need to demonstrate the match. Let your CV do the talking!
5. Will a CV parser easily be able to parse your CV?
Most online recruitment companies, including RecruitMyMom, use AI and applicant tracking systems to process large quantities of CV applications. This is why you need a CV that a computer can read and parse well into a recruiting system if you want to get shortlisted for a job. It helps you not have to retype your CV onto their site. The best formats accepted by parsers are Word documents or simple PDF formats. If your CV has been beautifully designed with graphics, the parser tool will not be able to accurately parse it, and your final CV may not be complete or not read well. You should rather upload a Word-format document and upload your beautifully designed CV as an additional document if this option is available. Read our article on tips to ensure your CV parses well.
In addition to these five essential checks, here are two tips to keep in mind when preparing your CV and get the job interview you want.
- Be honest: Don't exaggerate your skills or experience, and don't include any false information on your CV. False information is fraud and a serious offence. Hiring managers fact-check information, and if they discover that you've been dishonest, it will harm your chances of being hired for the job.
- Include reputable and contactable references: References should be past employers and managers, not colleagues, friends, family or clients unless requested. If you are new to the job market and do not have references, then make it clear how your references are related to you. Ensure that all your references are contactable and relevant to the job for which you are applying. Recruiters and employers will contact your references, so let them know that they will be contacted to provide a reliable reference on your behalf.
RecruitMyMom cares about your career. View our latest in-office, hybrid, and remote jobs, or register as a job seeker. Good luck.
