In a blog about unusual CVs earlier this year, we looked at some of the more ‘off the wall’ formats people have used to bring attention to their CV and stand out from their fellow jobseekers. Generally speaking though, a highly designed, stylistic CV could be a big gamble that doesn’t pay off. The ‘classic’ CV is still in vogue with the majority of recruiters.
That’s not to say your CV doesn’t need a little pizzazz. When we talk about the ‘classic’ CV, we mean dressed to impress.
When was the last time you looked at your CV with fresh eyes? Is it looking a little tired and thrown together? Does it need a little ‘zhoosh’ to make it flow and draw the recruiter’s gaze to all the right places?
Yes? Then try these seven simple CV formatting hacks.
#1 Let your headings make a statement
Headings are a fantastic tool for signposting the content of your CV for the reader, creating obvious focal points, whether someone’s scanning the text or reading it in detail. To help your headings grab attention, format them in a clear and confident way that sets the structure for your CV.
We’d recommend doing this by having your headers in capitals and underlining them with a line that runs across the entire width of the page. Leave a line space or border below the underline to give your heading room to make a statement.
#2 Your font style matters
Style is everything when it comes to picking the right font for your CV. Although there’s no definitive font to use, it’s important to pick an easy-to-read font that looks good in print and on screen. In an article for Business News Daily in October 2013, a selection of recruiters narrowed down the top seven recommended fonts for CV writing: Arial, Calibri, Century Old Style, Garamond, Georgia, Times New Roman, or Trebuchet MS.
In most cases, a sans serif (‘without fancy’) font is a good bet because it displays well on screen and in print, whereas more stylised serif fonts like Times New Roman and Century Old Style are perhaps suited to CVs targeted at more ‘traditional’ fields.
#3 Use consistent spacing
Our eyes look for uniformity and consistency, especially when we’re reading a document like a CV. Inconsistent line spacing can jar the reader and stick out like a sore thumb, drawing attention for the wrong reasons. And if the line spacing of your CV is all over the place, it can raise a red flag about your attention to detail – not ideal for a job application.
Try to ensure that you use consistent spacing throughout your CV. We tend to use 6pt before and 6pt after. If you’re writing your CV in Microsoft Word, look for the ‘Page layout’ options where you can set the desired spacing for your document.
#4 Leave enough white space
Like a fine wine, a good CV needs space to breathe. Although you may want to cram in every last detail about your career and interests to date, it’s often the case that less is more when it comes to getting your CV seen.
Recruiters are generally time poor and faced with the enormous challenge of finding the best prospects when sifting through CVs, even if they are assisted by Applicant Tracking Software. By leaving sufficient white space, breaks between different sections and bullet points to highlight your key skills, you’re giving the recruiter the space they need to read what you’re saying and between the lines.
#5 Stay out of the margins
If you’re running short of room on your CV, you may be tempted to decrease the margins at each edge of the page to eke out every last millimetre of space. But stop… step away from ‘Page layout>Margins’ option before you do anything hasty. Having narrow, squeezed borders around your CV can make it look squashed and chaotic, whereas ‘normal’ margins of 2.54cm create a sense of calm and order that recruiters will love.
#6 Consider putting keywords in bold and using bullet points to highlight your experience
At Giraffe CVs, we certainly favour using bullet points to pull out your relevant experience and help recruiters scan the highlights of your career to date. You might also consider emphasising keywords in bold, which is another way the formatting of your CV can help the reader skim read, while still paying attention to all the most relevant points.
#7 Check it looks good on and off screen
Finally, remember to print your CV off and check it looks good on and off screen. Be alert to spacing inconsistencies, incorrect formatting, typos, margin size, and check whether there’s enough white space – these aspects are all generally easier to see in print.
How does your CV look now? Have you been committing some serious formatting faux pas or is your CV good to go? If you need help presenting your CV or getting the content right for your next job application, we’re always happy to help.
Lis McGuire
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