Writing a CV: rocket science?

Writing a CV may seem easy-peasy – putting the history of your career together can’t be rocket science, right?

On the contrary! Jenny Foss, whom you might be familiar with from our previous LinkedIn Learning series posts, says that CVs use “an awkward style of writing, and for most of us, it’s super confusing”.

Therefore we decided to summarize her guide on fundamentals of writing a good CV:

First: CV is a marketing document not an autobiography. What does it mean when writing your resume?

– focus on your target audience (a headhunter / a decision maker in a company)
– include the most relevant positions (don’t include your every summer job from the 1990’s)
– underline things that make you an asset to the company, i.a. your measurable achievements

As Jenny Foss puts it: “Don’t assume that someone is going to know that you managed a team of 10 through a corporate acquisition” actually means that you single handedly held together this group of incredibly stressed out people through some crazy, complex, hostile takeover.”

See the difference? The wording is important, so focus on the specific. Show how you can deliver the results the company expects.

As for the formatting part: don’t use templates or follow one CV style because your friends do so! The only thing you will achieve is that your CV will look like hundreds of other CVs.

Finally, don’t babble! You should include only as much information as needed, but not to overcrowd your CV so that it becomes illegible for the reader.

This LinkedIn Learning course will guide you through the process of writing your resume-writing:
– from profile summary and work history section to education
– how to customize your CV for specific job applications
– deal with the tricky bits, as gaps in your employment history

You can watch it here

How’s your CV? Would you like to know how your CV is perceived? How many mistakes it has? Send an email to Bichl.Sandra (at) CareerAngels.eu with the subject “CV Report / Blog”or click here. You will receive your objective CV Report with market-relevant tips within 3-5 business days.

Previous posts from the series:
Interviews: tricky, illegal, difficult, standard questions
Interview the interviewer: answers to your most burning questions!
Your brand – purposeful or random mess?
When should you be a job hunter? Spoiler: Always!
How many planes are in the sky?