We don’t know if the perfect CV exists. If you follow a few “golden rules”, you’ll come close. In our day-to-day recruiting work, countless CVs cross our desks every day. Behind each of these two to five pages is a unique individual. How can you really impress with your CV? What do you need to consider with regard to automated and AI-supported recruiting processes? And which no-go’s have we already experienced – we are happy to give you a few tips on how to create an almost perfect CV.
1 | Clarity, compactness, coherent design
First impressions count – or rather the first page. Concentrate on creating the first page of your CV in such a compact and coherent way that the reader is left wanting more.
The focus should be on a good structure and a clear presentation of yourself as a top candidate for the specific job. Before you tackle the “CV creation” project, think about how you can convey your individual strengths and suitability for the position to your interviewer.
Tip no. 1: Think about how you want to present yourself before writing your CV!
2 | Where have the months gone?
Time and again, we come across CVs in which the months are missing. Different stations are categorized from 2009 to 2010. Hm, we immediately ask ourselves the question: “Why?” Is the person trying to disguise something or was it too difficult for them to find out the exact months?
If you embark on the adventure of creating a new CV after a long time, it can be difficult to find out the exact periods in which you were employed in which company. The best thing to do is to obtain a social security statement or, if you hopefully have one, look at your references.
If you don’t make the effort, you can assume with almost one hundred percent probability that this question will come up in the interview. Or the CV has already been sorted out beforehand because other candidates have provided exact time details.
Tip No 2: Include the full month and year in your CV!
3 | Chronological order upside down
Personally, we always have a little problem with the cascade: in other words, the work experience starts with the oldest station, the current position is at the very end of the line. By the time our eyes have finally reached the bottom station, which is often very important for the current job search, we are already tired.
Tip no. 3: Start your professional and educational stations with the most current position!
4 | The photo on the CV – self-statement and first impression
Photo, yes or no? You have to answer this question for yourself!
We know from our experience: if there is no photo on the CV, we are likely to use Google & Co. to search for a possible photo source (otherwise most likely too).
The “why question” may also come up again:
Does the person not like photos of themselves per se? Does the person want to exclude discrimination? Are they a modern thinker?
Or was there simply no suitable photo to hand and the effort required for a professional application photo was too great?
As it is still standard practice in our part of the world to include an application photo, our advice: please place a suitable application photo on your CV.
Many people are very visually inclined and many recruiters remember the CV mainly because of the picture and the presentation.
Here are a few tips on the type of photo: Choose a neutral setting, selfies and photos with half arms around the shoulders may be nice, but may create the wrong images in the viewer’s mind.
5 | Automated recruiting systems and AI-supported recruiting
Most recruiting departments work with systems that read CVs automatically. Such systems read simple and well-structured CVs with the fewest errors. For the recruiter, this means that the more creative and unstructured a CV is, the more work it is. Of course, you don’t want to let your own mark fall out completely. The use of AI tools in recruiting will also increase more and more. AI-supported recruiting systems often read relevant keywords for the position from CVs and thus make an automated pre-selection.
Think about which keywords are important for your career change. Use them consciously in your job descriptions and skills.
Tip No 5: Give your CV a clear structure at its core and use relevant keywords for the position you are aiming for!
6 | Position sought as a self-marketing hook
You have done everything right if your CV already addresses the targeted job and the company individually. This shows interest in both the position and the future working environment. Currently, we often see in CVs that the applicant places the title of the position they are looking for under their personal name, i.e. Mr. Max Muster, Head of Sales.
If the current position matches the position you are looking for, everything is fine. However, if you are looking for a change of position, for example because you are aiming for a promotion to a higher position, this should not be formulated in this way. It is best to stick to the principle here: Honesty is the best policy – no claims or statements in your CV that are not true.
Tip no. 6: Honesty is the best policy – stick to the truth in self-marketing too!
7 | No courage to leave a gap
We’ve all heard it before – “please send us your complete CV”. Even if this is the standard phrase in job advertisements, we often receive CVs with gaps. No matter why you have been out of work for a while, explain these periods as best you can in your CV. For example, a longer period of time off for travel and further training can fit in well with the new position you are applying for. During this time, you gained new skills and clarity about which job is right for you in the long term. We also advise you to do the same if you are applying for a job for which you could be considered overqualified based on your previous experience. It is best to explain in your CV – in a short “About me” text – why you are ideally suited for this position in this company.
Tip no. 7: Explain gaps in your CV sufficiently and point out which skills you have acquired during this time!
8 | References can make the difference
In this country, it is not as common to include references as it is in other countries. References on your CV make you stand out from the crowd. Provide your references with care and make sure that the person you give really does give positive feedback on your work performance and you as a person.
Tip No 8: List selected references – this will make you stand out!
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