7 tips on how to make a good CV

Making a good resume (CV) is the first step for anyone looking for a new job or wanting to change careers. This document helps professionals to attract HR's attention and stand out in the selection process. But did you know that a good resume needs to be adapted according to the desired position?

To help you in your search for better opportunities, We have created a complete guide explaining how to personalize your CV, what information needs to be included in it, the main mistakes made and tips for putting together and formatting an irresistible CV.

Check out this and much more in the reading below.

What is a professional resume?

The professional resume is a summary that brings together all of a person's experiences, qualifications and skills . It works as a presentation of the professional so that recruiters can learn about their trajectory.

This type of document is widely used in the selection process, like a business card. It is through this that HR will understand whether or not the candidate matches the advertised vacancy, directing them to the next stages of the process.

What to put on a good resume?

Knowing how to make a good CV is important for you to stand out in the selection processes. However, it is common for professionals to be confused about what information to add to the document and what is unnecessary.

To help with this step, we have listed the main elements that should appear on your CV, check it out.

Essential elements for a resume

The fundamental elements that must be present in a good resume are:

• Personal data: full name, age, marital status, updated contact telephone number and email;
• Professional objective: position and area for which you intend to apply;
• Professional experience: companies you have worked for, followed by the position, responsibilities and period worked;
• Academic background: level of education, name of the educational institution, course and start and end date;
• Complementary courses: free, technical courses and specializations undertaken by the candidate;
• Skills and competencies: soft and hard skills that can contribute to the open position.

Sections and subsections

Ideally, the resume should be formatted into sections and subsections to make it easier to read and understand. Remember that recruiters analyze a huge number of CVs for each vacancy, so this analysis is often done dynamically.

To make it easier to read, choose a template that uses blocks of text , divided according to the subject. Thus, you can define sections of your resume for professional experiences, others for courses and training, and so on.

Professional Experiences

Professional experiences must be described in a clear and convincing way, from most recent to oldest, and must always be true . If you choose to list the responsibilities and activities of each experience, try to be objective and succinct, so that the resume does not become too long.

The document must have a maximum of two pages, with all information presented objectively. Therefore, it is worth including only the most recent experiences or those related to the position you are seeking. This way, the resume will be leaner and better targeted.

Employer references and testimonials

Including professional references can be an interesting differentiator for your resume. Therefore, it is worth adding the contact details of some people who have already worked with you and who can give feedback to the recruiter.

Testimonials from previous employers and satisfied clients can also be strategically included. But it is essential that the information is true. If you choose to include them, choose just one or two accurate references and add them to the end of your resume.

7 tips for making a CV

You already know what data should be included in your CV, but how can you organize all of this to make the document really attractive? Below, we list some tips that can help you create a good resume and delight recruiters.

1. Use clean, professional formatting

Formatting makes all the difference in how information is absorbed. Therefore, it is worth being careful in this part.

The ideal is to use fonts that make it easier to read , such as Arial or Verdana. The font size must also be standardized. It is recommended to use size 12 for the body text and 16 and 14 for titles and subtitles.

Try to maintain a clean look , without excess information and with a traditional format. It is not necessary to include a photo on your resume, but if you choose to do so, give preference to images in 3x4 format, in high resolution, with a white background.

2. Highlight relevant achievements

At the beginning of your CV, it is worth including a professional summary of one or two paragraphs, highlighting your experiences, achievements and career highlights.

Furthermore, when describing your previous experiences, it is worth highlighting relevant achievements and results achieved . So, include, for example, promotions, prizes and other points that you consider important.

3. Tailor your resume for each opportunity

It is essential to adapt your resume to each specific position you want to apply for. Therefore, keep a copy of the document open to make changes whenever necessary.

When applying, personalize your professional objective and summary of qualifications according to the job requirements and duties. Of course, you must always be truthful, but it is possible to find differences in your experiences and skills that match what is being required.

4. Highlight important skills for the position

It is common for the recruiter to include in the job description the technical and behavioral skills that are being sought. Before applying, therefore, you have probably already checked what these mandatory and desirable requirements are.

Therefore, try to highlight the differences that show that you are the most suitable person for the position. It is interesting, for example, to make a list of 10 professional skills or include information about courses and training in the area.

5. Use keywords relevant to the area

Nowadays, it is common for the first stage of the selection processes, that is, CV analysis, to be carried out with the help of artificial intelligence software .

Obviously, this type of tool does not always have the same interpretation capacity as a human being. Therefore, it is worth giving the tool a helping hand, filling out your resume with keywords and terms similar to those found in the job advertisement.

Therefore, if the job description asks, for example, for skills with Excel, it is worth including the name of the tool in the list of skills, even if you have already added experience with the Office package.

6. Proofread carefully

Revision is one of the main steps when creating a good CV. It helps you check superficial , spelling, typing and grammar  errors .

The ideal is to carefully read the entire text a few hours or days after writing it. This way, you let your brain rest and can notice errors that could go unnoticed at first.

7. Keep your CV always updated

Finally, the last tip is to keep your resume up to date. You never know when you will find a perfect opportunity and you may still receive active contacts from recruiters. Therefore, it is essential to have a CV at hand, with current contact details and recent experiences.

CV mistakes you need to avoid

The main mistakes you can make on your resume are grammatical and typing mistakes . We have already pointed out the importance of reviewing information and this is really a priority. This is because the way you write can influence the image that the recruiter will have about your work.

Also, avoid using unnecessary jargon and including irrelevant information. Ideally, the CV should be practical and objective and can be viewed quickly, but efficiently, to attract the recruiter's interest.

Very creative layouts should also only be used if it makes sense with the vacancy. If you are competing for an opportunity in the design area, for example, it is worth thinking about a different format. Otherwise, the traditional and formal model is always the best option.