As I stare at my screen, I can't help but wonder, "How can I write a winning CV?" This question has been on my mind lately, especially after talking to many of you Virtual Assistants who are frustrated about not getting any responses to their job applications.
I truly empathise with all of you, and the challenges you’re going through. I feel the same sometimes; "What's holding my CV back?" This question has inspired me to write this Blog today.
I'm determined to tackle this issue for all of us, and I really believe this blog post can provide some great tips for creating impactful CVs that can help us all attract new clients.
Let's dive into this topic and bring positivity to this challenging situation!
DOES A WINNING CV EXCIST?
First, I want to mention that a good CV is just one part of the application process. Don’t forget that you can have a very good CV but a lousy cover letter or introduction mail and, therefore, still not being selected. In my blog about open applications, I explain more about that. As a former recruiter, I have seen endless resumes—the good, the bad, and the ugly. The one-pager, the two-pagers and the entire book works. Some had so many colours that you had to close your eyes slightly to make the CV readable. Some have exciting fonts, and others are boring to the core. Some would pop out; others would not even make the 3-second mark of putting it away again. But, really, though, are there winning CVs? A CV that, no matter what, always gets picked out of hundreds of applications? Can it be?
GENERAL RULES OF A GOOD CV
Let us first look at the general rules of a good CV. These global rules often give a good understanding of how a CV should be built. As much as I do not want to create this Blog post around these general rules, it is good to mention them as they build the foundation for your CV. See it as a solid blueprint to transform your ‘normal ’ CV into a ‘winning ’ CV.
🎯📈 Focus on Relevance and Results Tailor your CV to the specific role you’re applying for. Highlight relevant experience, skills, and achievements that match the job description. Use concrete examples and quantify your results where possible.
🧩🗂️ Be Clear and Structured Ensure your CV is easy to read and well-organized. Use clear headings, a readable font, and a logical structure.
👔📋 Ensure a Professional Appearance Your CV should have a professional look. Avoid bright colours and unprofessional photos. Choose a clean, elegant design.
✅🔍 Be Accurate and Error-Free Your CV must be free from errors. Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and inaccuracies can make a wrong impression.
📚🚀 Demonstrate Continuous Learning and Professional Development
Show that you’re committed to personal and professional growth.
As much as I agree with the five points mentioned above, a good CV is not only facts. It needs to grab the reader's attention and, more importantly, keep it! So, to stand out, we must add more personality to our CVs.
THE FIRST & MOST IMPORTANT STEP TO A WINNING CV
Before diving into the Advanced rules of a good CV, it is a must to understand who you are as a person and as a Virtual Assistant.
Click here to read my Blog about "understand better who you are as a VA " and create a matching profile and CV.
ADVANCED RULES OF A GOOD CV
Once we understand the basic rules for covering a good CV and our profile, we can examine the more advanced rules.
So lets print out your current CV and circle what is missing or needs to be added! Here we go!
1. Take time to craft a good CV With today’s technology and standard templates, it’s tempting to quickly create a CV and trust the programs to do all the work for you. I encourage you to take some decent time to craft your winning CV. It requires some delicate thought and dedication. Schedule a few afternoons or evenings to dive in!
2. Your CV looks like a circus! As much as the world looks amazing through bright colours and complicated designs, often, this doesn’t work very well for a CV. Try to keep your design clear, clean and calm. Besides the standard black and white nuances, pick out a max of 2 colours that you could add. Don’t go overboard with fonts, either. Stick to the best CV fonts of 2024
3. Don’t turn your CV into a bible Let’s be honest; time is the enemy here! Whoever will look at your CV, always remember: “They don’t have much time.” With that said, try to narrow your CV down to two pages. These are the most used formats.
4. Turn work history into achievements Lately, companies love to see achievements on CVs. Instead of bullet pointing out your “tasks” within a specific job, you will cover the achievements. I have yet to redesign my CV in this format but to give you an idea; you can check it out here.
5. Match your CV with the company/ client
A very often overlooked rule, but one of my favourites, is how your CV aligns with the company's culture. Are you two a natural match by skill, work experience, approach and profile?
I will showcase my CV as an example below. I’m not saying it is the best, but I can say that my CV has been working for years based on the basic and advanced rules I applied.
My CV as a Virtual Assistant is specifically designed for start-ups. I target mainly woman-owned companies that are driven, ambitious, and creative. I focus on tech, travel and hospitality industries.
As virtual assistants, we should also mention individual tasks on our CVs, as clients often like to see this. So, I chose a bullet approach for my CV. I haven’t added achievements yet, but this is something I consider. My CV has an effortless look and feel and is quick to read, straightforward, and clean-cut.
When considering your future clients, consider tailoring your CV to their business culture. Don’t go overboard; try to meet in the middle. Create a signature that works and matches your future clients. Don’t lose your authentic self in this process. Stick to who you are!
IMPORTANT: never pretend something to be that you’re not. Your CV should represent you most naturally. If you feel you must tailor your CV too much for the company to match, consider whether the company is an actual match.
6. Mention the gaps in your CV
I don’t know how many of you also had multiple gap years, but please don’t hide them! Briefly mention them so your future client knows you are transparent.
7. Your profile picture matters
In theory, it should not matter, but we live in a competitive world today. When you add a profile picture to your CV, it will create a whole story. Your professional life is written out, and a face is attached.
Profile pictures humanise an application. That makes it more approachable and can work to your advantage.
Tips:
· Reflect your authentic self.
· Make sure the picture is of good quality.
· Avoid overly casual or excessively staged shots.
8. Time to merge your CV into a winner! Combine the basic and advanced rules to create a winning CV.
Create your CV blueprint from the ‘basic rules’ section.
Choose your font and colours and adjust the basic CV blueprint.
Add all the advanced features within your CV and turn the basic blueprint into the advanced winner.
COMPANIES LOOK FOR A PERSON, NOT A CV
Companies and or future clients usually already have in mind what kind of person they are looking for, but you can still suprise them with just being "you"!.
As much as your skills and work history matter, your personality matters most.
And if you don’t match? Well, don’t take it personally. We can’t all match everybody.
CONCLUSION
With everything in life, there are many ways to get to Rome. There’s not one winning CV that will always be favoured, but if you implement the general rules of thumb together with the more advanced rules, you will stand a better chance of being picked out!
In my next blog, I will merge all my previous blogs, from covering everything from who you are as a VA to open applications, who your future clients can be, the correct cover letter, and a winning CV. So stay tuned!
To land future clients, we must combine all these separate application process steps. As you’ve noticed today, a winning CV is just a part of that journey.
To all you beautiful & brave souls out there; I would love for you to share your thoughts with me.
Let me know where you stand with your CV. Do you feel you are on the right track or need to change things? Feel free to share some of your winning tips with us!
I invite you to join me in a 30-min Virtual Coffee Moment where we can connect and talk about the VA world! You are not in this alone!
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