Ten Tips to Enhance your CV – Calling all HR Juniors!

The job market can be a hard nut to crack and navigate for juniors starting their HR careers or looking for their next move. To secure that lucrative opportunity you need to be able to produce a high-quality CV. Here are ten ways you can better your chances:

Tip One

Make sure your work and academic experience are structured chronologically, starting with your most recent experience. Ensure the month and date of each role is included alongside each role and achievement.

Tip Two

A great way to structure your experience is to include a breakdown of specific areas you have worked on in each role. For example, if you are applying for a HR Generalist position, include a breakdown of your particular experience in Employee Relations, HRIS, Onboarding, Offboarding, etc. You can include these as subheadings under your current position and delve deep into your technical experience and skills.

Tip Three

If you want to include a personal statement at the start of your CV, ensure you write a short concise summary, no more than 3-4 lines- ain’t nobody got time for that! It should include a high-level demonstration of your experience, skills and passion for the industry or role.

Tip Four  

The format of your CV should remain consistent throughout- this includes the font style, colour, and size (unless for headings which should be slightly larger in size). A good font style recommendation would be Times New Roman at 12 points in size.

Tip Five

Tailor your CV to the role you are interested- invest the time to research the company. Ensure you are appealing to their culture, values and take note of key skills they have outlined that are useful or necessary for the job. If your skills and values are aligned to the role include them on CV.

Tip Six

Do not include unnecessary information such as your marital status, your exact postcode, or details about your year five school play! Your CV should only include relevant information on your skills, experience and appropriate extra- curricular activities.

Tip Seven

Please don’t include a picture of yourself – this is a common mistake candidate’s often make. Adding your photo to a CV could lead to unconscious bias and you could be discriminated against. It also does not demonstrate your capabilities or add any additional value to your skillset. Big No!

Tip Eight

Address large gaps in your CV. If you were unemployed or not working between roles for a few months or longer, a short statement addressing why is useful. It helps the person reviewing your CV to understand the context of your situation.

Tip Nine

Try to keep your CV between 1-2 pages in length, it’s not The Odyssey! If you have previous experience that is no longer relevant – do not include it on your CV. If you are applying for a HR Advisor position, you do not need delve too deep into the past and include a part-time after-school job you did when you were 15, it will make your CV unnecessarily long.

Tip Ten

Make sure your CV includes a good mix of your soft and hard skills. Hard skills are generally more quantitative and would include any technical experience you’ve had such as your proficiency with Workday, Excel or project management. Soft skills are more qualitative, such as your ability to communicate effectively and build relationships. Having a mix of these skills on your CV is important to demonstrate you are a well-rounded individual. Big Yes!

Hopefully these tips can help to improve your CV and help you to secure your dream role! If you would like any further advice or are a Junior in HR looking to make their next move in Financial and Professional Services, please contact me via LinkedIn or at ka@elliottscotthr.com. I’d be happy to help!