tips on how to write a good cv for the internet age

November 2, 2009 2:00 am
Tips on how to write a good CV for the internet age
By Rhymer Rigby
With the popularity of Facebook and LinkedIn, the curriculum vitae might seem an anachronism. However, the proliferation of recruitment websites and online business networks means your CV may be widely available already. Potential employers could even be reading it even if you are not looking for a job. That, and the relative brevity and insecurity of modern jobs, means your CV has to work harder than ever.
It's just my career history in reverse order isn't it?
Not any more. CVs have become much more about where you are going and what you have to offer than where you have come from. "It needs to be a shop window on who you are and show people what you have to offer," says James Phillips, a senior consultant at The Fuller CV , a CV-writing service.
Elisabeth Marx, a partner at executive headhunters Heidrick & Struggles , says that, at a senior level, companies are looking for your major achievements: "We want to see things like successful change management, restructuring, international work, turnrounds and growing the business."
What are common pitfalls?
You should start by being honest and not exaggerating. The growth of electronic databases means that untruths such as bumped-up academic results are easily uncovered. You should also be very careful about lesser inaccuracies, such as guessing employment dates because you can't remember them, says Sonja Stockton, head of recruitment at PwC - even if these are honest mistakes, they may raise red flags with HR forensics.
Ms Marx says that less is more. "Sometimes we get 20-page CVs, but, even at a very senior level, they should be no more than two pages - and one page is even better."
Mr Phillips adds that this minimalist approach should apply to the writing as well. "CVs are often highly verbose and ridden with clichés. You want to be clear and concise," he says.
Should I write my own CV?
The argument for doing this is that you know yourself like no one else. But the arguments against are compelling, too. For instance, if you only do something once every five years, you are unlikely to be that good at it and if you spend four days struggling, you may well be better off paying someone else to do it professionally. For those looking to outsource the task, there are companies such as the aforementioned The Fuller CV and The CV House in the UK, and and TheLadders in the US. Equally, headhunters and recruiters will often work with you to burnish your resumé. And even if you're writing your own CV, you should seek feedback, preferably from someone who knows the professional you.
Do different countries expect different CVs?
At a senior level, says Ms Marx, there is now a fairly accepted international style. In middle management, however, there are still local idiosyncrasies, "For instance, a lot of Germans still put their photo on their CV," she says. And, she adds, Americans, with their focus on presentation and selling, tend to construct stronger CVs.
Anything else?
Avoid silly gimmicks. At one end of the scale, this means that employers don't want fancy fonts and descriptions of your pets under "outside interests". And at the other end, it means resisting the urge to make video CVs like Aleksey Vayner's infamous 2006 "Impossible is Nothing", an application to UBS that became a YouTube phenomenon in a way Mr Vayner could never have imagined.。