How to improve your CV

Even if you’re not planning to change careers or embark on a job search, it is always a good idea to keep your CV up to date should a dream opportunity suddenly crop up. Similarly, if you’ve recently finished an online course or are considering applying to university, sprucing up your CV could improve your odds.

Fortunately, enhancing your CV is easier than you think. Simply adopt the following steps:

Step One: Reflect

Before you embark on a major renovation of your CV, first take a moment to reflect, read and check to see if all of your jobs and responsibilities are up to date. The likelihood is, you’ll only need to add information to your job role from the last year.  Anything/any job you’ve done in the past will already be up to date.  Other things you should consider while reflecting is:

  • Have you done anything outside of work that is worth mentioning i.e. charity work? If so, make reference to it on your CV;
  • Do you have any transferrable skills? If the answer is yes, make a point of highlighting them;
  • Stagnation – if nothing has changed over the last 12 months – and your job has stagnated – then to spruce up your CV we suggest that you prove your commitment to onward development (through your various roles and responsibilities).

Step Two: Have a cull

Your CV needs to be as concise as possible (preferably 2 pages) and should only communicate information that is relevant to the job posts you’re applying for; as the reality is – recruiters will scan your CV. This means you need to make it compelling, interesting and worth their time.
Now, if you’re applying for a specific role, you should remove anything that doesn’t have any bearing on the job you want i.e. if you’re applying to be a copywriter, you shouldn’t talk about your time working in a supermarket. Likewise, you should highlight the qualities they are looking for and avoid being nostalgic or repetitive.

Step Three: Make sure your CV looks professional
How your CV looks will reflect on how employers perceive you. Therefore, you need to make sure that your CV looks professional and that YOU look competent.

  • Tips:
    Review the layout of your CV and ensure all of your information is laid out clearly and intelligently, so readers don’t have to waste time searching for information;
  • Use headers and colours – this will make all essential data easy to scan;
  • Utilise CV templates in Word (or from other word processing software). Alternatively, you will find templates on job search sites that can help you to correctly layout your CV;
  • If you don’t feel confident writing your own CV you can hire a professional to write it for you. While this will involve an initial cost, it will be worth the investment when it improves your employability odds;
  • Get friends and family to read your CV and provide you with feedback. Is it too long? Does it get to the point? Is it easy to read?

Step Four: Consider your CV for the next year
If nothing much has changed in the last year, then it may be worth re-evaluating your circumstances and being proactive. Is there anything you can do in improve your skills and make you more desirable?

  • Tips:
    Volunteer – this will impress prospective employers;
  • Enrol on courses – online courses are a great way to enhance your skills without you having to quit your job. Instead, you can complete these courses from the comfort of your own home, at a pace and time of your own choosing;
  • Go travelling;
  • Get work experience

As you can see, improving your CV can make a massive difference to your job opportunities. Simply learn how to make it professional, concise and easy to navigate, and you could end up getting your dream job.  For more information on our courses, visit our website.

Like this article? Spread the word

Why you can trust the Association of Learning

The Association of Learning provides high-quality, accessible online education. Collaborating with awarding bodies like AQA, Edexcel and OCR, they offer over 250 globally recognised courses. Highly rated with 4.7/5 on Trustpilot, they're listed on Reed Courses, FindCourses and more. Explore inspiring learner stories. Contact their friendly team for quality, flexible learning opportunities to upskill your career.

How To Be Your Own Boss

Ready to be your own boss? Dive into our comprehensive guide to create a solid action plan, gain essential skills, and manage your finances effectively. With practical tips and resources, you'll be well-equipped to turn your entrepreneurial dreams into a successful reality!

Qualifications and skills for working with animals

If you’re passionate about pursuing a career working with animals, then getting the right qualifications under your belt is essential. Yet the types of qualifications you’ll need will vary depending on the type of job you want. For instance, dog groomers will need vastly different qualifications compared to a Vet. For this reason, we thought...

What are QCF, NVQ, and RQF Qualifications? What’s the Difference?

The RQF replaced the QCF in 2015, which replaced the NVQ in 2011. Confused? You’re not alone. Today we’ll break down these frameworks, iron out the confusing bits, and answer the following questions: What is an NVQ? What is a QCF? What is an RQF? How do RQF courses work? When did the system change?...

What jobs can I get with a childcare qualification?

There is a variety of information accessible in the childcare business on the qualifications required to pursue a career. But what happens once you get a childcare qualification? What will you be able to do now that you have these new certifications in your professional arsenal? You need to explore your options after completing a...

Why do people want to change their career?

Of all the questions you should prepare for when applying for a job, this is one of the big ones, as the answer you give will greatly inform their decision on whether or not to employ you.  You can’t for instance say you hated your last job/boss as this will paint a negative picture of...

Comments (0)

Join the conversation

Your email address will not be published
What’s on your mind?*
Your name*
Your email*