In a CV, recruiters want to see facts first and foremost. But how convincing your career is, also depends on how you present it. Design, wording, or emphasis—all these factors have an impact on the impression your CV makes.
Enhance Your CV: Structure, Layout and Formalities
Recruiters usually don’t have much time to review a CV. So, it’s often the little things that influence their decision on your job application—whether consciously or unconsciously. That's why it's important to get one thing right: the first impression.
If you want to enhance your CV, you should therefore first focus on formalities and job application standards
- Good structure: The most important information on your CV should be given a central position in the layout - a logical structure is important. Recruiters are particularly interested in your personal details and professional background. This information should be at the top of your CV.
- Clear layout: The easier it is to find the key information, the better. Consistent colours, formatting, and design elements should highlight the relevant information on your CV and not distract from it. A bold design attracts attention—but it should never be at the expense of readability. Less is often more. If you deviate from the norm, make sure you have a good reason for doing so.
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Start now!- Job application photo:: Although a job application photo is no longer mandatory under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), it is still generally expected in Germany. A professionally taken, appealing photo is still a door opener. You should only omit a photo if the job advertisement specifically requires it.
- Precise time periods: You should list the different stages of your career in antichronological order, starting with your most recent job. A combination of years and months is common, such as "01/2020 - 07/2020". Caution: If you only give year dates, you may be suspected of hiding gaps in your CV. Recruiters know this trick, which is why CVs of this type are quickly discarded.
- Spelling and careless mistakes: Check your CV carefully for spelling mistakes, double spaces, and poor formatting. It's even better to have friends or family look over your CV.
Chronological or antichronological order?
The antichronological or reverse chronological arrangement of the information in the CV is the standard procedure.
This means that your current or most recent employment is listed first. From there, it goes backwards in time, i.e. antichronologically: the further a station is in the past, the further down it is listed. This is because recent experience is generally more relevant than experience from many years ago. If you want to enhance your CV, you should therefore list your career antichronologically.
Enhance the Content of Your CV: Why Details Matter
The content is also important when enhancing your CV. Nuances can make or break how your potential employer judges your job application. There are classic pitfalls that applicants should avoid in their CV.
Customise Your CV
Your CV should always be tailored to the job you are applying for. Each employer has individual requirements and is looking for specific skills, which are usually specified in the job offer. Make sure your CV highlights the experience, skills, and soft skills they are looking for. If you simply send out the same CV for every job, you will miss the opportunity to present yourself in the best possible light. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to job applications—neither for CVs nor for cover letters.
Delete Unnecessary Information
The purpose of a CV is not to list all your experience and skills. Recruiters want to know what makes you the right person for the job.
So, delete or shorten information that is not relevant to the job. For example, experience in video production may score points in the social media sector—but not for a job in accounting.
Back up Your Details With Facts and Figures
To enhance your CV, you should describe your experience and successful projects in more detail.
Head of a working group to increase sales
This kind of wording raises a few questions: was the group successful or not? And what does this information say about you? Try to be more specific, with details and figures.
Leading a working group of six people to increase sales: jointly developed measures that increased online sales by 12%
Numbers are an advantage when it comes to enhancing the information on your CV, as they attract attention, prove your suitability, and are remembered.
Dealing with Gaps in Your CV with Confidence
It may sound counterintuitive at first, but being open and confident about gaps in your CV is an advantage. Recruiters are usually quick to spot lies and attempts at deception.
So, if you want to enhance your CV, you should be confident about dealing with gaps in your CV and not rely on distractions. Most people face difficult times in their careers. What matters is how you deal with them. If you respond to the challenge with initiative and confidence, it will work to your advantage.
Be Clear, Proactive and Positive
Recruiters want to find facts in your CV that leave no room for interpretation. The clearer you can make your point, the better. To enhance your CV, you should also focus on active language: the job was not given to you, you took it. Your expertise was not given to you, you acquired it. Pay attention to your choice of words: the term "unemployed" sounds passive and has a negative connotation, whereas the phrases "looking for work" or "job-seeking" makes you sound active.
Enhancing Your CV: Active Career Planning
Enhancing your CV isn't just about getting the content and presentation right. Many employees look specifically for jobs, projects or extracurricular activities that look good on their CV.
For example, if you want to work in the automotive industry, you can help out in a garage or do an internship while you are still at school. In most cases, a fascination with cars goes hand in hand with a hobby, which adds to your enthusiasm. During your studies, working as a student trainee in the automotive industry is a good option. Any compulsory internships or dissertations can also be completed with this focus. Finally, if you manage to get an entry job in the automotive industry, you will have laid the ideal foundation for a successful career.