Make The Shortlist
We're often asked "What Make's A Good CV?". Promoting yourself in written form can be the most challenging task you're faced with when setting out on your job hunt - first impressions count and in most cases you only get one chance. We're big fans of being individual and love to read a resume whereby a candidate's personality shines through. It's important however to get the structure and basics right in order to ensure your application makes the top of the pile. Here are our tips for CV success...
Visually appealing CV's are common in design - often they tend to be more visual and the detail of experience can be left out - and pdf's can be a nightmare for a recruiter or potential employer to work with - always send a copy of your cv in Word form too (sacrilege to all of you designers we know - but your recruiter will love you forever if you do!). Ensure your pdf format CV's are of a decent resolution too. Keep presentation simple and easy to read - no elaborate fonts.
No need to include a photo of yourself on your CV either - let your experience do the talking
Contact Info - you'd be surprised by just how many CV's (amazing as they look and read) fail to include a contact number - imagine our frustration when your CV drops into our inbox and we want to call you immediately to tell you about all of our amazing opportunities... only to find there's no number!
Start with a Profile - knock us dead with your skills, achievements and aspirations. You can tailor this to the role and co you're applying for. Avoid the mundane - don't use generic language. Make it competency based.
Then move onto your Professional Work Experience. Start with the present day and work backwards (leaving off that Saturday job you had ten years ago). Include dates, roles, company names and bullet point your duties - the more detail the better.
Follow up your Professional Experience with your Education. List (in chronological order) universities, schools, qualifications, dates attended and modules plus areas of specialism as well as any training courses completed.
Include Links for online portfolio's, Linked In profile, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr accounts etc (professional only - not personal).
Interests - so important, yet so many leave this one out. It's an area I zoom in on. Your interests can say so much about you as a person and potential employers will want to see evidence of personal attributes such as being a team player ( e.g. sport). Do you volunteer in your spare time? How immersed are you in fashion?
And finally... don't forget names of two business related Referee's - this will save time when it comes to sealing the deal at offer stage.
Best of Luck - if you'd like to work in partnership with a true fashion specialist in your quest for a new role, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
