Perfecting your CV + Cover Letter
When applying for a new role, your CV and cover letter give a prospective employer their first impression of you and your suitability for both the role and their business. It is so important your CV and cover letter are presented professionally and are tailored to suit the role and industry you are applying to work in. We share our top tips to perfecting your CV and cover letter to help you secure an interview!
Your CV
Keep it brief
Limit your CV to 1-2 pages depending on the length of your experience. Use bullet points where possible so that recruiters and employers can easily skim through your experience and skill set.
Focus on presentation
The way that your CV is presented makes a big difference to how much time a reader will spend looking at your CV. There are a number of free templates that you can find online - we love those available via the free design tool Canva. Focus on tailoring your CV to the industry that you’re applying to work in i.e. for a more creative role you can play around with colour and format more than you would for a corporate role.
List your skills
We recommend listing your skills on your CV in a clear and concise way so that a prospective employer can quickly and easily determine that your skills match the role they’re looking to fill. You don’t want them having to read through lengthy paragraphs to determine whether you have the right skill set, most employers just don’t have the time.
Your Cover Letter
Tailor your cover letter to the role
Don’t fall into the trap of using the same cover letter for all of your applications. Spend time tailoring each cover letter to the role that you are applying for. The time and effort you put into this will come across to the reader.
Showcase your personality
Your cover letter is your opportunity to stand out from other applicants and really showcase who you are. Make sure it reflects your personality!
Keep it short and sweet
Remember that recruiters and employers are often reviewing a number of CVs and cover letters so keep it as concise as you can.