The perfect CV can make or break any job seeker, that is why when drafting a CV, you have to be very careful.
As curated by Quora, here are 22 tips that can help you create an awesome resume:
1. Don’t name your resume file “CV.”
2. Don’t include random qualifications or interests right in the middle of your CV. Try and keep anything extracurricular until the end, thanks.
3. Your cover letter is NOT a section on your resume. It’s a cover letter.
4. Your education information from 20 years ago takes up the first half of your resume? Bad move.
5. Font size 11, 12, or heck, maybe even 13 can work. 14? I think this person is just trying to fill some space.
6. Don’t use different fonts on the same CV.
7. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman–all are acceptable fonts–but please don’t get brave or adventurous beyond those.
8. Oh, nice. I’m loving these uses of different colors to highlight different parts of your resume. Said no one, ever. Don’t do that, please.
9. Don’t go into outlandish detail about inane things. You used to work in the admin department and there were people calling regularly throughout the day to discuss some of the issues with invoicing. For example, one man called, and … snore. Lost me already.
10. Brilliant CV … I can’t seem to find your name on it, though … who are you?
11. Half-page CVs are red flags. In the last 18/25/42/61 years, nothing happened?
12. If you include a photo on your resume and it’s small, pixelated, freaky, off-center, blurry, distant, or you don’t look good–kill the photo completely or (if you must!) get a good photo instead.
13. Let’s say your last job was in ‘Lisa Village, Ogun State, Nigeira. A recruiter won’t know (or care) exactly where that village is. Ogun State is fine.
14. ‘A hardworking boy from X’–don’t refer to yourself as boy/girl/man/woman. Ever.
15. Contact me at [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected] (please, no).
16. You included all your work experience–but not contact details? No email? No phone number?
17. A CV that features the word ‘CV’ in size 32 font … really?
18. Just as too much detail is a bad idea, so is too little detail. “Sales Girl 2009-2012″ needs more.
19. “I’m hardworking, motivated, organized, and a good team player.” Also incredibly generic.
20. Drop the prose. Who honestly will read 7 long sentences about you?
21. Don’t send your resume as an odt/txt/html or other random file extension.
22. Don’t leave your resume named sdjklsjkdl.docx (yes, that also happens).