The thing that you await the most post-graduation is landing a job of your dreams. Often students tend to think that the job market is a field of roses where they will get to pick and choose anything that they like with utmost ease since their degree has equipped them with all the necessary skills, but that soon changes if you are not familiar with how to prepare a resume resume CV that is an accurate representation of your skill set, work experience, and education. 

Your resume CV is the first chance of you to make an impression on a potential employer or institute. A resume CV that exudes your personality adequately will make sure you get the face-to-face interview in no time. Thus, it is only sane to spend a reasonable amount of time and effort crafting a resume CV that leaves a positive impact on the reviewer. The same is the case with the references that you set out in the resume CV. These references are generally former colleagues and supervisors who can confirm the skills you claim to have; thus, it is essential to select them wisely and have them know that you have enlisted their names as your professional references. 

Let us give you a few tips for your CV formation process and the acquisition of the references down so that you can make sure that your resume CV helps you take the initial steps towards the job of your dreams. 

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Make sure these sections are included in your resume CV: 

These critical sections are one of the first things the reviewers tend to see and are concerned with the most.

These include:

Name, Contact Details and your Professional Title

You don’t have to name your resume CV as “CV,” but instead, have your complete name be the title itself. In case that you have an updated LinkedIn profile, it is always smart to add it here so that the employer can see that you are familiar with the website and know its importance in the professional circle.

Your profile

It is supposed to give the employer an insight into who you are as a professional and what you can offer the company that you are applying for a job at.  

You prior Work Experience

Try to list this section in reverse chronological order by having the most recent work experience at the top. While you register down your designations alongside the company titles, it is wise to include a summary of your job roles. 

Your Education and Qualifications

The list of your qualifications should also be in reverse chronological order, and you should include the dates of studying for the specification qualifications. 

In addition to these, it is almost always fruitful to have a section in which you identify the kind of skills that you possess so that the reviewer doesn’t have to look for them through your previous work experience or qualifications. It is often helpful in showcasing your abilities to the employer within the first few seconds of him reviewing your CV. 

Do a thorough Grammar Check and proofread the CV

Your CV mustn’t give off the idea that you don’t have a grip on your grammar and punctuation. The employer is reviewing your skills based on one piece of paper that is in front of him. In the case where that piece of information is filled with grammatical mistakes, it is safe to assume that your impact on the employer will be anything but positive. Proofreading is the key to avoiding these mistakes, and it is often advisable that you get your CV reviewed by a friend or acquaintance before you send it in for a job application. 

Formatting and Spacing guidelines

Similar to the incorrect grammar on the CV, poor formatting and spacing of the document can also leave a poor impression on the reviewer. It can make them feel that you did not put in the adequate effort while applying for the job and thus reduces your chances of getting one at all. 

• The length of the CV should be 1-2 pages if you are a beginner, but in case you have more experience, the range can vary according to that. 
• Each section must have a heading; bold and more significant than the other written material
• The font type should be clear, and you can opt for Calibri or Arial. You can choose different fonts, too, as long as they are clear and easy to read.
• The body of your CV should be between font size 10-12, and your headings may range from 14-18. 
• The page margins should be around 2.5 cm but no lesser than 1.2 cm, as this will make the CV look too busy and stressful to read
• The CV should ideally be saved in a PDF format so that it is compatible with all devices

Tailoring the CV for each job

It is okay to have a generic copy of your CV and to use it for jobs, but it is often smart to tailor your CV for the job that you are applying for. It gives the reviewer the impression that you know the job role that you are applying for and have the most appropriate skill set for it. Tailoring the CV will help you beat the software that reads your CV and increase the chances of you getting the job you are chasing. 

References

It is often the part of the CV that the candidates tend to tread on lightly. Thus it is essential to keep check of these things while enlisting people: 

• Always pick professional references over personal ones.
• Change the references as per the need of the job and do not use the same ones for every job – it is highly advised to specific
• Don’t ask someone to be your referee over email – it seems impersonal and would put you at the risk of losing contact with them eventually
• Tell your references where you will be using them and for what job so that they have the necessary information when your potential employer reaches out
• Make sure that you have set down the correct information of your references so that you avoid any embarrassment when the prospective employer reaches out to them

And lastly, always thank your references for being kind enough to do this for you. A note of thanks can go a long way in strengthening your professional association with them. 

Conclusion

Getting your CV right from the beginning can help you find a job quickly and also create an impression on your potential employer, which will last a long time, once you do get yourself the job. Follow the above tips and tricks to make sure that you get closer to the job you want.