When you’re happy in your job, the last thing you’re going to be thinking about is your CV. However, we find ourselves in a world where very few things are certain. Because of this, it’s important to have your CV on your mind.
Indeed, the best time to write a CV is when you don’t necessarily need one.
By this we mean if you’re working at a job you like, you will be able to create your CV at your leisure. You can then take time to review it and make sure it's perfect.
You may not need to use it for a while or at all but having it prepared and ready to go is an excellent backup plan. So, where do you start?
Step one is to review your current CV, regardless of how outdated it may be. Start by adding your most recent job and what it entails. Think of the likes of your responsibilities or achievements that may impress a future employer.
After you’ve listed these achievements and duties, your CV may be quite long. If it’s over two pages, it’s time to give it a clean-up. Starting at the oldest entries, delete the least important information and work your way up.
When you’ve weeded out the least important information, now it’s time for a complete check-over. Check out the spellings and grammar and re-read it over again.
Cover letters are another important part of the initial job-hunting process. Be sure to brush up on how to write a good one.
It’s a good idea to prepare three different types and have them filed for when you need to use them. One can be in response to a job advertisement, one could be for introducing yourself and the last one could be a speculative letter to a company.
Cover letters can easily be forgotten when applying for a job, so having them ready to go means that you’ll just need to make a few minor tweaks before you send them off with your CV.
Step two is being ready to job hunt. Having a list of both target recruiters and companies you think you’d fit in ready to go is a great way to prepare.
After you’ve decided on this, it’s time to think of the interviews. Generally speaking, most companies will welcome you into their buildings for an interview. This way they can actually meet you, as well as allowing you to get a feel for the place.
However, this type of interview is somewhat impossible at the moment. Telephone interviews are not a new phenomenon but are certainly rising in popularity. However, video calls are a relatively new style of interview that has been incredibly popular during the pandemic.
Make sure you’re up to speed with how to use video calling software, as you wouldn’t want to be caught out when/if you do have a job interview.
Aside from this, make sure to brush up on your general interview skills. Just because you’re not meeting your potential employers in person doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your best to impress them.
Check out our post here about how to nail your CV!