CV Preparation is one of the unpleasant obligations of those who will take a new step into business life. As the internship period approaches, we all want to apply for internships in order to spend our summer vacation more productively. However, as we read through the applications, we notice something. "Now, How do I write a CV, What should I put in my CV while preparing it?"
For those who have a question mark in their heads about how to prepare a CV, we have compiled for you the tricks to create an effective CV in 10 steps.
1. The Basics Are Essential
Not every CV has to be a copy of each other and CVs can cover different topics when appropriate. However, the sections with some basic information are the places that are looked at in every CV. These are; personal/contact information, educational information, work/internship history, skills required for work/internship, personal interests, and reference information.
2. Presentation Style Is Also Important in CV
Just as how we like a food or drink that we buy at the restaurants or cafes when it is presented beautifully, a well-presented CV will be appreciated by your potential employer as well. So how you present a good CV. First of all, the layout and design of your CV should be easy on the eyes, neat, and should not look complicated.
Tip: The most valuable point in the paper layout of your CV is the middle top section. This is usually the first place a person that reviews your CV looks at.
3. Do Not Exceed 2 Pages
"Less is More" philosophy, which we use for most things, will be useful for us while writing a CV too. Our aim when writing a CV is to convince the other person to hire us by explaining our experiences in a short and basic way. Telling what we do by avoiding the crowd of words will offer us a very high probability of opening the doors of the job interview. Apart from that, the time allotted to a CV is very short as employers read hundreds of CVs a day. Therefore, telling our experiences in a short and basic way makes us stand out among other CVs.
4. Know What You're Applying For
Reading long job descriptions and required skills may seem boring at first glance, but these are actually clues that show the qualities employers are looking for in their recruits. It will be very beneficial for us to use them. For example, if the job you are applying for requires experience in social media, stating the social media work you have done in the student club in your CV will make you stand out among other CVs.
5. Organize Your CV According to the Job You Are Applying For
Instead of preparing a single CV and sending it to all the jobs, you applied for, send your CV after making minor adjustments for the job you are applying for. Each job you apply for has different definitions and each job requires different skills. Removing the unnecessary parts of your CV about the job you are applying for and adding details that may be important will save you from the clutter in your CV. For example, if you are applying to a company's marketing department, your potential employer does not need to know that you have been a private tutor in the past.
6. Your Skills Matter
In the Skills section, do not forget to mention the skills that will make you stand out from other candidates and that are relevant to the job you are applying for. These; could be communication skills, computer skills, leadership skills. If you think you don't have these skills, think again. For example, if you captained a team at the university; you have actually developed your team and leadership skills to a certain extent.
7. Take Another Look At Your Interests
Make sure your interests are aligned with the job you are applying for. Try to be extraordinary instead of the ordinary in the interests section and mention your interests that will attract the attention of employers. Activities that you are active instead of passive will keep your CV more alive. For example, while watching a movie is a more passive activity, stating that you criticize movies on a blog is a more active activity and will look more interesting on your CV.
8. How You Express Your Experiences Matters
When describing your experiences, make sure to use positive and confident verbs such as "to develop", "to organize", "to reach" and "to achieve". A description of your work experiences can also shed light on the skills you have acquired. For example, if you have been on a team, you can indicate this and the person reading your CV will infer that you are familiar with teamwork.
9. Add Reference
Your references must be from your previous workplace and vouch for the skills you have stated in your CV. If you have never worked before, you may also consider writing a professor that you were close with at your university.
10. Take Care to Keep Your CV Up-to-Date
You should take a look at your CV from time to time and update it. When applying for a job, take a final look at your CV, and don't forget to include anything you've done recently that might catch the interest of the company you're applying for!