Your CV is often your first chance to make a good impression on a prospective employer. Therefore, the copy you send them must be polished and most importantly contain the right information in the right format that will help them determine if you should be shortlisted to progress to the next stage of the application process.
This post outlines the essential CV checks you must make before hitting the “send” button to boost your chances of success.
1: Check the content of your experience section of your graduate CV
The Experience section of your CV is most important for:
-showcasing your skills and achievements which help prospective employers determine your potential for success in the role you are applying for.
-helping you to stand out from hundreds or thousands of other candidates applying for the job.
Before you hit send, ensure that you have:
- Not just listed tasks you’ve completed but demonstrated how your contribution added value to the company by increasing revenue, lowering costs, and improving the efficiency of solving problems.
- Quantifed your skills by adding numbers and percentages to your Work experience section.
- Included all relevant work-related experiences that allow you to demonstrate your transferable skills.
- Is tailored to the job you are applying for, ensuring that skills and experiences emphasised on the job specification are reflected on your CV.
2: Check the length and format of your graduate CV
Your CV should be clear, concise and easy to read. Remember, initial reviews of your CV will be very brief.
Check that you have done the following:
-used a simple, professional font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman consistently throughout the entire document.
-used font size 10-12 consistently throughout your CV
-condensed your CV ideally to one page or 2max
-included adequate white space to break up each section and prevent your CV from appearing overcrowded.
-saved it as a PDF format with an appropriate file name that makes your CV easily identifiable to employers.
-used bullet points, not paragraphs to outline your work-related achievements.
-used strong action items at the beginning of each bullet point such as “developed”, “managed”, “co-ordinated”, “launched” etc to clearly convey your role and achievements.
3: check your graduate CV is ATS-friendly
Ensure that your CV is ATS (applicant tracking system) friendly. This is crucial because many companies use these systems to screen applications and shortlist candidates for human review.
Check the following:
-ensure the formatting is clean and simple. Avoid using tables, text boxes or columns. ATS can have trouble parsing complex formats which could result in your CV being properly assessed or rejected.
-check that you have used a standard font consistently on your graduate CV. Uncommon fonts might not be recognised by ATS.
-use standard bullet points such as solid circles or squares. Other types of bullet points may not be picked up appropriately by the ATS.
-check that the keywords mentioned in the job description are reflected in your CV. This will increase the chances that your CV will be picked up. For example, if the job description mentions data analytics and written communication as requirements, make sure you include these as keywords within the experience section of your graduate CV.
4: review your education section
Before sending your CV check your education section for conciseness. Include your:
-degree title
-university
-degree classification
-dates attended
If you deem it relevant include mention of any modules or projects directly related to the graduate opportunity you are applying for.
Do not fill this section with a list of all of the modules you completed during your time at university.
Keep the education section of your graduate CV short and concise so that you save space for your experience section to demonstrate your employability skills.
Add your A-levels if the application mentions an A-level requirement. Most graduate employers only emphasize a degree as the educational entry requirement.
There is generally no need to list your GCSEs unless stated on the application.
5: Check spelling and grammar
This one goes without saying, but you must check your CV for spelling and grammatical mistakes.
Utilise your spell checker or tools such as Grammarly to help you identify any mistakes.
It is a good idea to send your CV to a family member or friend to review it with a fresh pair of eyes.
A CV free of errors will demonstrate your attention to detail which is a desired trait in graduates.
Conclusion
With the pressure to send out several graduate job applications, it may be tempting to hit send before thoroughly reviewing your CV. However, it is important that you devote some time to review each application before sending it. It really could make the difference between being shortlisted for the next stage of the application process or not.
Most CVs are screened by an ATS before being reviewed by a human, so taking the extra time to ensure your CV is ATS-friendly can prevent your application from being instantly rejected. If you’d like help with reviewing your CV for ATS friendliness, sign up for our free CV review.
Featured image by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels
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