Two types of CVs or resumes are sent to employers — those that tell what you are and those that tell who you are. CVs that tell what you are highlight irrelevant and unnecessary details. Expect those to be tossed into an employer’s rubbish bin. Documents that tell who you are inspire creativity and engage. Expect those to find a home at the top of the selection pile. Unfortunately, due to a lack of career experience, too many of them fall into the former category. Go the extra mile and keep your CV out of human resource’s bin by avoiding the following.
1. The Objective Statement
Lose it, plain and simple. The purpose of the objective statement is to introduce yourself to a potential employer and explain why you’re pursuing the job. By just submitting your resume, you’ve already explained it — “Here is my CV because I want you to hire me.” What you want to express in an objective statement can be spotlighted in the cover letter. Instead of reforming this useless piece of information, delete it.
2. More Accomplishments, Less Duties
As a college grad, listing a history of catchy job titles isn’t a shoo-in. Rather than waste space by explaining what a “Computer Lab Supervisor” actually does, use the experience section to boast your accomplishments, promotions you’ve earned, tasks that were above and beyond your job descriptions, volunteer service, and accolades. Use this space to tout what you did, not just that you did it. Also, don’t ignore scholarships from resume building. For example, through retailers like direct-ticket.net, DirecTV offers a scholarship for college students. Acquiring a scholarship like that is a fine display of your work ethic and exemplifies ambition.
3. A Single Page
Few college graduates need a two-page CV. Unless your internship experience is exceptionally outstanding, everything your employer needs to know about you as a potential hire can be shown on one piece of paper. If you’re on the other side of the aisle and have trouble filling a complete page, focus on clean and fun designs that positively manipulate the vacant white space to make your CV pop out.
4. Emphasis On Dates
Long histories of experience and former jobs attract an employer’s eye, but it’s not expected from entry-level college graduates. Don’t begin each job description with the months and years you worked elsewhere. Place the dates in a column to the right of each job description to avoid distracting an employer from your strengths and what you can offer.
5. Custom Made
One size does not fit all. Every CV you email to a potential employer should be fine-tuned and tailored to meet the unique needs of the position. If creating a dozen or more documents seems overwhelming, at least create one prototype for each type of job you apply. For example, if you earned a financial degree, customise one type of CV or resume for a public accounting job and another resume for a private consulting firm.
