Tips on Refreshing Your CV

It's time to take a step back with those job applications and take a deep look at your CV. For those actively seeking fresh employment, there are bound to be inconsistencies and versioning for your CV that need to be reeled in. For example, you may have customised your CV too much to fit in with specific jobs and have noticed that your introduction paragraph seems to push you in one direction, but your job history sells you as something else. 

Go through every item

Do a deep dive into your CV and see what makes sense and needs to be edited out. You may be looking at a different path in your career or looking to move up your existing path. That means you want to work on refining those bullet points describing your past positions to reflect the position you want to get. For example, if you are looking for senior management positions, focus on the times you displayed leadership and team unity. For those looking to get a more technical role or data-driven role, focus on your numbers and metrics throughout your resume.

You also want to see if you have any new skill sets to consider, offer up on your resume, and if there are some skill sets that you no longer deem viable. Finding that concise balance of relevant skills on your resume is always a good idea, and the annual new year clean-up can help you get that balance.

Don’t do it all at once

While you should screen through your resume the first time around, try to revise your CV piecemeal. We tend to focus more at the beginning of our revisions and then feel like we're just trying to push through to the end. You want to give equal time to every piece of your CV and double-check everything from the dates worked to what your position was really about. 

This helps you keep fresh with your prior job history by taking a slower and more detailed approach to your CV clean-up. As a result, you'll be able to remember relevant achievements later on and include them when looking for your next position. 

Keep a minimalist format

CVs tend to be best when they are minimalist in most cases. That means if you were working on a CV that seemed to be extravagant and full of colour and an image, you might want to take a step back and revert back to traditional CVs. Conventional CVs focus on your job history, skill set, education and licenses, and your overall professional history. So it's always a solid choice for recruiters who don't need to be distracted by the flash of the colours. 

You don't need to start from a blank page either, as long as you stick to the condition to give every part equal time, even if they aren't always weighted equally by recruiters or hiring staff. If you aren't currently looking for new work, it's still a good idea to do this CV clean-up as a way for you to recap the accomplishments you've had the past year.