My CV was terrible for years.
I applied to over 200 jobs from 2012-2014. I think I had 5 interviews in that time, and only 3 of them became jobs. Any other work I got was from my network.
8 years later, when doing screening for roles I was hiring for or part of the interview panel for, I noticed the same mistakes I had made in most CVs I read.
If you want to get to a the interview stage of a remote job, fixing your CV can take you a lot closer.
Here’s 5 things you can do today to make your CV much better:
Remove the Picture
You are beautiful! Or not. It doesn’t really matter, if someone hires you (especially remotely) they are hiring you for the value they believe you can add to the company.
Your photo is a visual distraction and it takes up precious space in the CV. Get rid of it so the person reading the CV can focus fully on the value you can offer.
Switch From Location To Availability
This is one I didn’t learn until fairly recently. Remote job recruiters don’t care about where exactly you live. They don’t need your address, and again it will be distracting and show you haven’t considered what kind of job you are applying for.
Instead of providing location details in the CV, provide information about what time zones you are willing to work in. For example, if you’re based in Lahore, you could say “Available from 9AM-6PM GMT +5”.
This will help the person reading your CV know if the job is a good fit for both of you.
Quantify Your Impact
Too many times I have seen CVs that don’t tell me anything about how the person applying had changed their organization.
Statements like “managed the sprint planning process” or “wrote articles for the blog” tell me nothing about what impact your work made.
How many views did your blog articles get? How many of them ranked on the first page of Google?
How did your management of the sprint planning process improve efficiency? How much time did you save, or how much more efficient was your development team?
If you are not 100% sure how much impact you had, it’s completely okay to estimate. Just make sure you do so honestly, because when you get your references checked, the reference might be asked about these numbers.
Make It Easy To Read
Resumes don’t need to be artistic. They need to be readable.
Don’t let flowery designs, weird organizational patterns, or big graphics make your resume harder to scan.
Opt for a 1-2 column design where all information is clearly divided into sections that can all be found in less than 2 seconds. This will help the resume reviewer find what they need to know without the hassle, and feel more confident they know what they need to about you.
Remove Your Summary
Some people will disagree with this, but the summary is not helpful for most of us who hire. It tells us what you think about yourself, but we can find that on LinkedIn and other social profiles. You should leave more space for relevant experience and skills. Let those + your job experience tell us about you.
Clean Up Your CV Today and Try Reapplying
Take some time to clean up your CV this week. Once you have, try reapplying for a position you previously applied for. Even if you don’t get it, it will be good practice.
That’s all for today! If you found this post helpful, leave a like. If you have a question, leave a comment!