It is never easy looking for a new job, especially with the amount of competition you need to contend with these days. Which is why so many people are making the mistake of over-designing their CV. Although you may think you are doing the right thing by trying to stand out with big designs, colours, and even images, unfortunately, this isn’t always the case for most employers.
It can be hard to stand out with just a standard black and white CV, especially when systems like Microsoft create readymade CV templates free of charge that look quite the opposite. Just because they are free and Microsoft have created them, doesn’t mean they are the go-to layout for a CV. Yes, they look eye-catching, but as they have been so heavily formatted that uses up so much valuable space! An employer wants to see skill sets, facts, figures and achievements, not bright colours and blank spaces!
A CV is the first point of contact you will have with a potential employer, so in order to get noticed don’t think about what’s bold and eye-catching, focus on the content! Your CV needs to be to the point, easy to read and relevant, and if you are qualified for the job just make sure your skills are showcased properly, so you don’t need anything “fancy”.
To help guide you in the right direction we have put some templates together to give you the feel of what makes a good CV, as well as how to utilise the space and relevant information. This will ensure you can stand out, without all the bright colours and patterns.
1:
The first design is a standard template from one of the Microsoft packages. Although it looks smart and neat, the colour and design are going to be a distraction for someone who is trawling through CVs. The format of the template also takes up a lot of space, the gaps on the left-hand side are taking up space for relevant information! There is no real flow to this CV, which again is important for someone who wants an easy read. A CV without formatting will also ensure you can make the most of your space because ideally, you don’t want a CV that is more than 2 pages long.
2:
Compared to the other designs, it doesn’t look that impressive. But if you look at how the information is laid out; this is what an employer will want to read as it is neat with a simple downward flow. Bullet points again will make it easier for the employer to read relevant information. If your CV has lots of paragraphs this is going to allow space for waffle, so having bullet points will certainly limit that and allow you to focus on keywords or experiences that will impress the employer.
3:
Sure, this CV is a creative person’s dream, but it’s also every employer’s nightmare. The patterns are going to make it very hard for the employer to read the information, they will take one look at this and run a mile. Yes, it may express your personality, but you can do that if you get an interview! It doesn’t matter if you are going for a creative role or not, your CV needs to be simple and to the point. You can always back up your creativity with your portfolio if you want them to see more than just words on your CV.
In summary, less can certainly be more! Any employer is just going to want to know about you and what you’ve done! If you see your CV as the paper version of you, factual information is going to give the reader a much better impression, rather than space invading colours and patterns. So keep it simple, and if you get an interview that’s when you can really let your personality shine through!
Good luck!