If you are going to be sending your CV out into the competitive market place in 2021, there are a few things you need to consider. Some noted common mistakes and new trends below will either help you or hinder you in your job search.
CONTACT DETAILS (DUH?)
You will be surprised at how often people fail to put any contact details on a good CV. Even highly educated professionals, with great experience, miss this one. It is very frustrating to see a CV with salary expectations, ID number, loads of great content with no contact details.
Not. One. Phone. Number.
If you are looking for a job, be sure to include your contact details in your CV for 2021. FYI – including your LinkedIn profile URL and Skype address will have you sporting a CV that is “on trend”!
INCLUDE A MUGSHOT
Most people are visual beings and when they see a picture of someone, it builds rapport and provides them with a framework for familiarity. We strongly motivate everyone to include a professionally presented picture of yourself on your CV. Most social media profiles present the person with a picture, so why should it be different for your CV. Just make sure it is a good picture – good quality, professionally presented (you don’t have to go out and hire a photographer!) and one that rather sports a smile than a millennial pout.
SKILLS SELL
There are some companies that are moving away from recruiting based simply on education and choosing to hire for skills instead. The skills you can perform are different to your old job titles and your qualifications. Workplace skills are often learned on the job and companies are looking for these to avoid costly training and development of new staff.
Some skills include software tools, reporting and technical “tasks of the trade”. Be careful not to confuse skills with competencies. Listing competencies such as dynamic, punctual, analytical or good communication are bias traits which do not highlight one’s uniqueness and can present as cliché’ and overused.
SHOWCASE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
Companies are looking for success. Your chances of getting hired are higher if you have added notable value in your previous roles.
- Have you exceeded your targets?
- Have you won an award for your work?
- Have you made an impact on your department?
Let people know your achievements and your CV is likely to stand out amongst the others.
WORD DOCUMENTS WIN
With the increasing range of software used for recruitment, your CV will need to be readable by any PC’s in 2020. Scanned CVs and those in image format make it difficult for the content in CV’s to be read. The same also goes for fancy formatting with tables and text blocks.
Your best bet is a simply formatted word document CV that is pdf’d for security purposes. That wins every time.
Also Read: How to Make a Great CV
IS IT NEEDED?
Before adding additional information to your CV in 2021, ask yourself if it is necessary. Often there are all sorts of random facts added to CV’s that just add extra pages, and not relevance, to your application, for example:
- Health – Unless it’s going to hinder you, we assume you are ok.
- Sexual Orientation – That’s not our business
- Religion – as above, we don’t concern ourselves with this
- Pets – we like animals, but puppy dog eyes won’t help here
- Hobbies – It’s good to have one, but is it relevant to the application?
- School Achievements – These don’t carry much weight as you get older (where you end up carrying your own weight…)
Also Read: How a Hobby can Help your Career
If you are going to succeed in your job search in 2021, you will need to get your CV in order. Take some time out and make sure it is up to date, relevant, with all the right details and in the correct format. Sometimes “less is more”. Good luck and happy hunting!
