8. Don’t Leave Gaps
What would you think if you were reading a book, and 50 pages were missing in the middle? You would notice, right? And you would want to know what happened. If you knew a book had 50 pages missing, would you even read it? The same can be said of your CV. You can’t leave out previous jobs, or times when you were not employed. Always cover everything. If you were unemployed for a time, explain what you were doing in that time to promote your career and keep moving forward. You are always learning new, transferable skills, so explain them.
Avoid Clichés and Phrases That Don’t Mean Anything
Are you a ‘dynamic individual with the passion to improve a business’? So is everyone else you are competing with. Too often we see CVs loaded with clichés which make your more impressive achievements less believable and less significant.
Check Your Spelling and Grammar
There is nothing more off putting with a new CV for our recruiters than poor spelling and grammar. Employers expect your CV to be perfect, because it is a snapshot of the quality of your work, and is important. Give your CV to other people to read so they can spot errors before you send it out. A CV with poor spelling and grammar can see your application in the bin before it’s even been properly assessed.
There you have it. Ten of the most important tips we can give you about your CV, from the people who will be reading it. Now make sure your CV is looking great and makes you look amazing, then upload it to Careers in Africa by clicking here.
Your next career move could be right around the corner.
Have you considered attending a Careers in Africa Recruitment Summit in 2016? Sign up now by clicking here to apply, we will be in London and Paris in the Spring, followed by Nairobi, Abidjan and Johannesburg later in the year.