Details
How to include the maximum number of details without weighing down the CV with too much information? This is the central challenge of writing a good CV. The recruiter must obtain sufficient information about your experience, your achievements and your education without feeling overwhelmed. Be clear, coherent and balanced.
Employers who are recruiting, generally have little time to read the dozens of CVs that they receive. The CV must therefore be as comprehensible as possible, because the people responsible for recruitment will not take the time to look for the meaning of your functions or your skills. They are pressed for time. It is therefore necessary to describe your achievements and skills in such a way as to show that you are capable of occupying the position but without going overboard in your description.
A CV that is lively and dynamic
When enumerating the various tasks that you carried out for your previous employers, use action verbs to describe them and provide details of your responsibilities. “It is important to describe skills and tasks that are associated with the position you are applying for, and the action verbs should be in the infinitive form,” specifies Olivia Morin of the Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi Montréal Centre Ville. “This makes the CV more lively and dynamic.”
You must also be careful not to leave too many gaps in the chronology. It is not by leaving out a piece of information that you will hide the periods of inactivity. And in such cases, you must not lie. “Do not hesitate to be frank. There are all kinds of explanations for a period of unemployment: illness, children, trips, studies…” explains Christopher Livingston of Proforce Personnel, “honesty will never work against you.”
Emphasize your achievements
Do not overlook your achievements, for these bring concreteness to your skills. The recruiter can thus get a better idea of your abilities. However, you do not need to include all your achievements. It is important to select the most appropriate ones. In order to present them in the best way possible, ask your previous employer or supervisor how he would describe the achievement. “What mark did you leave behind at that position? Why were you given a raise at that time? What significant decision did you make? This kind of description provides added value to your experience” says Michel Ohayon.
Finding the right balance
In order to be as clear as possible in your descriptions, it is also necessary to know how to find the right balance. You should be able to measure and balance your presentation. “Generally, we see CVs that are weighed down by too many details and lists,” explains Michel Ohayon from the firm Barbara Shore & Associates. “When a candidate knows how to synthesize information and be rigorous in writing a CV, he will surely be the same in his work. This is seen as a positive attribute.”