Top 10 CV Trends in 2014

Writing a CV is an important job to make sure that you end up with the job and career that you are looking for, that’s why it is important to stay ahead of the times and keep up to date with the latest trends when writing your CV.

This article gives you the top ten new CV trends being used in 2014 that is worth following:

#1 If you are looking for a creative role then use a creative format

Stay ahead of the times and if you are looking for a marketing or social media or creative role type then it is important that you also demonstrate your creative skills in your CV, adding some features and colour and maybe different fonts, design ideas etc.  This will not work in the same way for a more traditional role and industry but if you are going creative, make sure you use your skills.

#2 Do shorter more focussed CV’s

It can sometimes be hard to focus when writing a CV but if you are very specific with your information on your CV then you avoid an employer getting bored reading the same stuff that they always read and will be interested reading compact but specific information. Make sure that you read the job description carefully to ensure that you are answering the questions that they want to know within your CV, it will then give them alarm bells that you could do this role improving your chances for an interview.

#3 Don’t waffle – telling stories

There is a time and a place for telling stories and on your CV is not one of those times. Do not reminisce but stick to the facts carefully answering the job requirements within your skills. Lack of time is very important for most employers so try to stick carefully to what you need them to know.

#4 Sections/Headings

Make sure they are relevant in your CV so that an employer will see them and make a connection. If you want to add a bit of colour in a traditional CV you could make your headings a different colour to enhance it and make sure it stands out.

#5 LinkedIn

Although LinkedIn does not take over from the traditional CV, employers will look to see if your profile in on LinkedIn and to see what research they can do on you and your past skills and companies where you have worked etc. Treat LinkedIn as valuable as your CV and ensure that also sells you and is updated.

#6 Don’t make your personal statement dull

Make it better than other people’s, include names of companies and figures if you can that will impress an employer and give them something to associate with you.  That’s not to say that you should name drop constantly but any major achievements then definitely include in your personal statement.

#7 Have different formats of your CV for different roles and industries

It’s getting to the stage where people are doing different formats of their CV for different industries or companies so it is important to consider this and by spending the time doing it now then you have it ready for when you need to use your CV and you can send it off fairly quickly avoiding missed opportunities.

#8 Use social media

Employers may check you out on social media to see if you are connected and how you come across. If you do use social media make sure that you bear in mind an employer could be looking at your details.

#9 Prove that you are worth the investment

Back up what you are offering a company by proving that you would be worth the investment they are looking to take on. If you have a major achievement in a similar role that would be of interest to a company then don’t just leave it for your interview, entice a company by putting it on your CV and making sure that by interview stage they can just ask you more about the achievement.

#10 Be focused

If you are focused in your CV writing then an employer will think you are focused in your job too. Stick to the point and an employer will like.  Look at what is being asked of you and make sure that you answer that specifically so that an employer knows that if you are in a meeting for example you are able to stick to the facts rather than going off on tangents and boring everyone before getting to the point.

image by: aleks