In our new reality, the job market is becoming more and more competitive. If you are considering a career move, you need to make sure you have an updated CV, or you may even want to start preparing one from scratch. Whatever is the case, a simple error may cause your CV to sink in a garbage can.

A resume is not just a reservoir of content. It also conveys an idea of who you are through the way you show that content.

Creating an image

You will find countless versions of resumes. How will you discern which one is the right one? The answer is the one you feel fits you to express what you have to say in a certain way and not another. That is, from the moment you choose a template, you are creating your image. 

The layout

The organization of your information on the page, the colors you use, fonts, and formatting will tell a lot about your personality. 

• Crowding the page with words will not seem inviting to read. It is like you are not leaving space to breathe. Leaving some white areas will allow the reader to distinguish and classify ideas.
• Overuse of colors may become distracting. 
• Atypical or using varied fonts may be confusing. If you want to be original and choose a rare font, you risk your employers’ computer may not be able to read it. So, stick to a classic one that will work on the computer and paper.
• Inconsistent formatting will make your text unclear and hard to follow. For example, if you use different formats for titles, they may seem to belong to different categories.

The narrative

After aligning your thoughts, it is time to put them in writing. Again, it is not only a question of bulleting content. The narrative here plays a significant role. For example, if you are writing a teaching resume, your employer already knows that you should be ready to handle a class. So, you want to tell your story in terms of what you did that differentiated you, a project you led for the school, a team you coached, a department you led, etc. Describe your accomplishments. You will not catch their attention with a bland text that does not help you stand out.

• Professional experience. CVs are lengthy documents. So, you may want to list your work experience in inverse chronological order to keep your reader's attention. And focus on consistent formatting for acronyms and names in general. And when you describe your past position, remember that they already know the job description. Here, you may want to mention, for example, what new teaching materials to brought to the class and how you improved it.
• Hobbies and interests. Your prospective employer is not probably interested in the kind of movies you like to watch or if you enjoy taking long walks. However, if you volunteer at your local community center, coaching, organizing events, etc., then it is worth mentioning because you are showing that you are willing to offer your expertise in different scenarios.
• Skills. Something like "knowledgeable on education apps" will not catch their attention since you are supposed to know them. Here, it would be best if you mentioned the ones you know or the most prominent ones.

Grammar and spelling

Poor grammar may cost you.

• Avoid buzzwords and try to be as precise and concise as possible, providing details of your work experience. The institution expects you to be, for instance, a good team player. Should they believe you when you say it? Would it not be better to give an account of what you did in a specific situation?
• Also, you may feel tempted to fill pages with general information and job descriptions, adding unnecessary adjectives, etc. to make it bulkier.
• Check and double-check spelling rules and grammar. You do not want your CV or resume to be tossed away because of spelling and grammatical errors due to a lack of attention when writing. On the other hand, having university studies does not guarantee to have high-quality writing skills. 

And last, you will not be able to show you are the best fit for a position if you use the same resume or CV for all your applications. The chances are that your employer will see it as a lack of interest on your part. If you cannot make an effort to customize it, can they be sure that you will be willing to make a difference at their institution?

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