We know…writing and maintaining a CV is a laborious task, and the same insecurities rear their head…is it good enough? Is it what the employer wants? Is it too long…or too short? Do I add a picture?... and on, and on and on!
Well, to help alleviate some of your fears, we've put together a list of our do's and don'ts when it comes to writing an impactful CV. But look, CV writing is an Art not a Science, and there's technically no right or wrong answers (we'd argue there's definitely some wrong answers!) and clients like different things, but hey - don't let that stop you!
Lemon's do's for a stand out CV:
1. Include a picture
This one's always up for debate. In my view…include it, because why not? A picture brings you to life and makes the CV more personal, just be careful about which picture you choose and keep it up to date (think back to your original Facebook profile photo….eeeek).
2. Jazz it up
Two white pages of size 8 'Times new roman' font with the odd underlined title? Think again…it's 2021. Now I come from a design background so maybe I'm bias here, but I think a little effort into the way your CV looks can go a long way, you don't need to go over the top for a professional CV and you need to make sure it's easy to read but please…add some colour - it will catch an eye or two. And worse case, it shows your employer that you can format pretty slides, and let's face it - it's the no.1 skill of a consultant!
3. Include the essentials…and think about the order
You may have just created the best looking CV in the world…but you won't get very far if you don’t have the sufficient content. Make sure to include your personal details, work experience, education, key skills and interests at a minimum. Also…think about the order, most clients prefer work experience up first so they can cut to the chase however, if you've got something in your education to show off…then flaunt it like Miley Cyrus at a pride festival (calling all MBA students).
The don'ts…apart from the opposites of the above:
1. Include irrelevant information
Yes we know that you are proud of winning a 5-a-side football league at uni, and that you have read all of the Harry Potter books but please, save it for someone that really cares…like us! (just leave it off your CV). This goes for all sections on your CV not just your interest's section, delete the high school education, the retail job at Myer and the Minecraft skills.
2. Ditch the acronyms
Once you land the job you can use all the acronyms you want, and trust me, there will be lots of them…my old team was called the FSO COPS SCO Stream, no wonder nobody understands what consultants do! This also covers short hand text and any other abbreviations most Aussies like to indulge in - keep it simple and readable.
3. Don't send it before re-reading it...and clicking spellcheck!
You'll be surprised how picky some employers are, especially when you're going for competitive roles. Make sure to proof read your CV and even get a younger sister, brother or friend to give it a once over (the youngest sibling is the smartest…guess which one I am). I've seen countless spelling mistakes, incorrect contact details and just poor English that doesn't make sense…it's not a good look.
So there it is, 3 do's and 3 don'ts to help you write a CV…the Lemon way.
Shout out if you have any questions, we're always happy to chat in more detail.
Brook
Lemon Co-Founder
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