Many employers read your CV first, to see if you have the qualifications needed to get the job. So, the appearance and structure of your CV is very important.
Length
A CV is typically 2-3 pages. So, it's fine if it's more than 1 page, but keep it short and precise. Companies only spend about 2-3 minutes reading through your CV in the first screening. Make sure they notice what you want them to see.
Get a friend to spend a minute skimming through your CV and tell you what they notice.
Expression and layout
The layout should not determine the content! Readability is key. There are many ways to do it – Google, get inspired and make it your own. There are a lot of fine predefined templates, but before you use one, think about how it fits with your content. It needs to be easy to read.
Tips on layout:
- Use bullets/bold font to structure and highlight. It makes it easier to scan.
- Declutter - make the layout easy to understand at the first glance. Don't make them think.
- White space is good - beware of too much text.
- Your layout can function as an active part of your application and say a lot about you. Are you creative? Show it! Are you not that creative? Consider using a template that you like.
- Make sure your font size is consistent and that the layout of your CV is consistent with your application.
read the CV on a screen (Ballisager, 2017). That means that you can put in links for e.g. your LinkedIn profile or webpage. There are still some who print it in black and white though, so make sure that you think about your color choices and how they'll look in print.