How To Write A Killer CV To Bag Your Dream Job

Looking for a job can be like a full-time job in itself. You’ve got to sell yourself in a cover letter, more often than not fill in forms and then, of course, add your CV. While your cover letter is likely to change every time, you may just have 1 or 2 versions of your CV depending on what job you’re looking for.

When I was looking for my current job I had one CV which was more content-focused which was the type of role I really wanted. And then I had one which was more digital marketing focused which helped me choose the right one depending on what I was applying.

If you’re looking for a new job then here are some ways to create and write a killer CV to bag your dream job.

Make it a bit more creative than a word document

My very first CV’s were basic word documents which had headings and bullet points, and not much else. But the world is far more creative now, and you’ll want to reflect this in how you create your CV. Especially if you’re applying for a job in the content, marketing or design space.

I’ve used Canva for all of my CV’s and when I’ve created some for friends as there are some great templates you can use. They’re also very easy to edit and mould to exactly how you want it. Love the design but want to change the background colour or font? Easy peasy!

I know when I look at CV’s and see they’re super basic with no creativity it doesn’t excite me to want to read. This is especially important if you’re applying for a highly sought after role. You need to give the recruiter or hiring manager a reason to give your CV attention.

Make it specific for the role you’re applying for

As I said above unlike your covering letter you won’t have a different version of your CV for every job you apply for. But you will want a few different versions if you’re applying for slightly different roles. Your CV doesn’t need to vary much but it’s worth emphasizing the experience you have for that role more.

So for example in my content-based CV, I spoke more about my actual content creation. And I gave my blog and freelance experience a larger part. Then in my digital marketing CV, I put my SEO and PPC experience higher and went into a bit more detail about these areas. By doing this you know you’re giving the best possible examples for the role you’re applying for. Of course, if you’re only applying for one very specific type of role you may not need to do this.

Making your CV specific also includes links and social media accounts. I always include a link to my blog on my CV as I’m only going to apply for content or digital marketing roles. And my blog is a great showcase of my work. If you have an online portfolio this might be relevant. Or if you’re applying for a social media or creative role your Instagram handle may be relevant.

Never go for more than one page

You might think you have loads to add on your CV but try to keep it one page. Recruiters and hiring managers are likely to have a lot of CV’s to go through and anything longer may lose their attention span. Think about the formatting, can you add more to your CV by adding a sidebar? And really think twice about what needs to be on there. Certain roles you had back at university or after graduating may not be relevant so you might not want them on your CV at all. Or if you do you may not want to go into it too deeply.

I have a few roles on my CV which I just highlight with dates and my job title. But I don’t give any more information on them. This means if they are relevant (or have aspects which are) I can chat these over in an interview. And if they’re not it shows my job history but doesn’t waste someones time. My current job would not have cared about my role serving food and drink at Watford Football Club so it’s not on my CV at all.

Save it in PDF format

This might seem like a super obvious one but PDF is the only format that can be opened anywhere. I’ve had documents emailed to me which have been saved on Word which just don’t open on my Macbook. And if your CV doesn’t open you might find you’re automatically dismissed as they can’t even see what you have to offer. And if other candidates can show this straight out, you might be out of the running.

Don’t forget about Linkedin

While this isn’t actually your CV, future employers are likely to check you out on Linkedin and it’s important to make sure it’s up to date and consistent. You want to make sure that all of the information you have on your CV is also on your Linkedin. But Linkedin also allows you to elaborate more on certain aspects of your experience. Length is very important with a CV but Linkedin you can add in more words and make it a bit longer.

Check your email address

I’m sure everyone has moved on from the xxxrhian1990xxx@hotmail.com style email addresses. But make sure the email on your CV is professional and simple. It’s free to create an email address so if you need to, create a new one. If you do go for Gmail, trust me!

Are you happy with the way your CV looks? When was the last time you jazzed it up?

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