Make your CV Shine

WHEN IT COMES to applying for creative positions we all seem to get more concerned with compiling our portfolios than anything else. However, more often than not you won’t get a chance to showcase an employer your work unless they invite you to interview. This means that your Curriculum Vitae (CV), or ‘resume’ as the Americans call it, could arguably be more crucial to the job-hunting process. So this month we thought we’d fill this space with a little refresher on the key techniques everyone should know when it comes to making a CV irresistible.

Firstly, let’s get the basics out the way and stress the concept of keeping things simple for you and for the employer. A good CV should be concise so it is easy to read and not a magnum opus for your life story. Try to keep the pages to at least two but a maximum of three and cut back lengthy details to a series of bullet points that can be expanded and explained at interview. Compose and save it digitally in a popular file format such as Word (.doc) or PDF if you use any fancy formatting and send it with any application forms in a covering email. Very rarely these days do employers expect or want to receive CVs through the post, so be sure to follow any explicit instructions they provide. Keeping things digital also enables employers to quickly forward applications across departments and make multiple prints should they need it. Lastly, remember that the style of the CV can convey something about your design discipline, so put some thought into how it looks. Less is definitely more so any subtle visual tricks you can add will help to make a CV look less templated and set it apart from the ream of others being submitted:

WEB DESIGNER’S TOP TIP CV HITLIST

1) Keep it concise, accessible and easy on the eye.
2) Distil information on employment history, academic achievements/qualifications and skills to bulleted lists.
3) Don’t lie! Be honest about who you are and what you’ve done or you could end up winning BBC’s The Apprentice.
4) Avoid a heavily templated or unimaginative look. Try to inject some subtle style where possible.
5) Save and send it in the most universal document format.
6) Submit via email with a covering letter.

If you’re still a bit concerned then make sure you let someone else proof it for you – a second opinion never hurts. Additionally, there are some great online guides on CV writing and interviewing at www.greatcvs.co.uk, while books such as Brilliant CV: What Employers Want To See And How To Say It from Pearson (£9.99) is a great all-encompassing companion.