What Should You Pay Attention to for a Good English CV?

 

During my time as a recruitment consultant, I would carefully review and edit candidates' CVs. Now, I still review my clients' CVs in detail and always provide suggestions for improvements and edits. During our online meetings, we make changes together on the document, or my client sends me their CV, I grab my coffee, open the CV file, write my suggestions, and send it back to them. I dedicate special time for this. So, how much time do you think an HR professional or consultant can spend reviewing a CV? 30 seconds? 1 minute? 3 minutes? Believe me, it's not much time. That’s why your CV should be concise, clear, error-free, and easy to understand.

 

I've reviewed thousands of CVs and edited hundreds. Below, I’ve listed situations I frequently encounter in English CVs that require attention, along with my recommendations:

 

• Grammar mistakes and meaning shifts
• Repetitive words like "making, setting, doing, taking care of, managing" in the tasks and responsibilities (experiences) section
• Non-chronological order
• Overly long task descriptions, long lists of responsibilities

 

My suggested solutions for English CVs:

 

1. Less is more. Remember this rule. Your CV should be easy to read and understandable for the consultant, HR personnel, or the relevant managers reviewing it. It should be readable and comprehensible in a short amount of time. Shorten what you’ve written as much as possible.
2. When writing about your current role's responsibilities and details, use the present tense with "-ing." For past experiences, you can use the past tense.
3. Don’t let the description of a task exceed half a page. Write only the most critical and important responsibilities. After your tasks and responsibilities, you can write about your achievements under an "achievements" heading. This will make your CV even stronger.
4. In cases where you find it difficult to use verbs or don’t want to, use the phrase “being responsible for.” For example: "Being responsible for social media management."
5. When detailing your tasks and responsibilities, use strong words instead of repetitive ones. You can refer to the strong word list for inspiration.
6. Ensure that you list your experiences and education (school information) in reverse chronological order, from the most recent date to the past. This makes it easier for the reader and allows for a more efficient use of time during interviews.
7. Check your writing. You can get help from Microsoft Office for spelling or grammar checks.

 

Your CV is the first impression of your professional life. I recommend strengthening your CV to make a strong first impression. I’ve also prepared a list of words that can make your CV stronger and help you avoid repetition, make sure to check it out.