The art of the perfect CV is one that many of us strive to understand. How can we present ourselves in the best possible way in order to get that interview?
If you feel like you’d be able to ace an interview, but you never get invited, then you’re not alone. Here are the steps to take to polish up that CV, to get you out of the cycle and in front of someone who wants to hire you.
Be clear and concise
One of the most important things is to be clear and concise in your CV. A recruiter will probably only glance over the document, pausing on things that stand out or are more important to them.
This means you don’t have a lot of time to grab their attention. Writing an essay under every heading of your CV won’t do you any favours in food and drink. Deliver the information clearly and quickly – using bullet points is a good way to do this. List briefly your responsibilities at past jobs, keep it simple when listing your attributes, and don’t waffle on in your cover letter.
Get more training
Training and qualifications stand out, as does real-world experience. Make sure that your CV reflects the training you have had which is relevant for the food industry. If you haven’t had any training at all, start now. There are plenty of free online courses out there to start you off, and you can pay to earn more impressive qualifications if you feel this is necessary.
Highlight your training in a prominent position on your CV, towards the top. If you’re ten years or more out of your GCSEs, no one cares about those results. The same goes for your A-levels, and you can always shorten this information to the basics on how many results you got if they aren’t particularly relevant. If you have a degree, this will always want to feature prominently, but relevant industry qualifications should always be highlighted the most.
Control your formatting
Many applications for jobs, especially from those who are just entering the world of work for the first time, tend to be formatted badly. They can even look jumbled and unreadable. Why? Because you haven’t taken into account that people view documents on different screens and software.
Use a simple, clear layout which allows your experience and qualifications to be the star. When you’re ready, save it as a PDF. This will preserve your formatting and ensure that it looks great on any screen. Don’t count on your CV looking good if you miss this step.
Include relevant personal information
Finally, be sure to include information about yourself that will be important to recruiters. They will need to know where you live, for example – and if you’re willing to relocate, should you be applying for a job far from home.
Follow these steps, and you should have a CV which looks good to recruiters. From there, getting an interview should be easy in order to acquire a job in the food industry.
