Tips for Improving your CV Content

Your CV is a critical job search tool, summarizing your skills and the quality of work that you offer. Here are some tips for creating a CV that is clear, concise and effective:

• Use a “Summary” of your skills and experience and not an “Objective” in describing yourself. An Objective is often too generic to be meaningful or, if specific, ends up limiting your chances with different job opportunities.


• Make your CV easy to find. Use keywords that employers are likely to use in a candidate search. Include details of applications or equipment used on the job, ex. AutoCad 14, Allen Bradley, etc. to assist CV search engines.


• Give a brief description of each company in smaller italicized letters to clarify the type of company and provide context for your work experience.


• Use active verbs to describe your responsibilities. Example: Use “Wired and assembled”, not “Wiring and assembly”.


• Unless you have just graduated, present your experience first - your experience is what you are offering and what distinguishes you from others with the same educational qualifications.


• If a job is unrelated to your career or your personal objectives, then diminish its importance by minimizing, or eliminating, the details of the job.


• Separate your degrees, diplomas and certificates from your professional training by using “Education” and “Professional Training”. This differentiates your base education from courses you've taken during your career.