Monster CV masterclass

By Monster Contributor

Feel like it's time to update your CV – or even just create a brand new one from scratch? Welcome to the Monster CV Masterclass. We're going to walk you through some simple points to help you check off along the way, leaving you with one shiny document before you begin your job apply process:

The CV clean up

First things first; you haven't looked at or felt the need to edit your CV up till this point so you'll need to start by taking a good hard look at what's already there. What phrases were you using that now just sound plain weak? To help you out, the video below will make sure you stay away from complete clichés and get those out of your CV before adding anything new. Even if you're building from the ground up (you may want to try a CV template), knowing what to avoid from the get-go can prove pretty useful.

After phase one is complete – it's time to fine tune your CV. We've included a short video below that gives you some quick tips on how to start gearing it towards your target audience, without losing any clarity, of course. Try to review our CV Advice for more dos and donts.

The CV content

So the cobwebs are gone and you've started structuring the CV to make it look like a worthy contender, but here's where you really want to start adding the layers of goodness into your CV – to help get that much needed competitive edge.

There are certain words that you can use on your CV that will breathe life into the sentences and bullet points used. Employers flip through hundreds of these documents at a time, so having some big impactful words can really help your chances in catching their eye.

Try to see what makes you the person you are. What can you offer the company that no other candidate can? These are your unique selling points and can greatly improve your chances of rising above the competition.

Finally – review some of the basic elements that need to be included in a CV to ensure you're not excluding any of these.

The CV send out

So, you've reviewed your newly formed CV once, twice and maybe even three times over. Now comes the applying part; but before you rush to apply to hundreds of jobs with just one CV, there are a few things you should consider.

With the ever increasing presence and impact social media has on our lives, networking channels like Twitter are becoming important in recruiting. If you feel like you have a strong character on social networks, it may be worth including these on your CV. Adding your @username next to your contact details can really help show an employer how serious your interest in a particular industry is - something that cannot be explained in full detail over one or two pages.

Remember – every job is different and requires different skills and knowledge. Carefully review each job spec and make adjustments to your CV before applying. Not only will this greatly improve your chances of landing an interview (as your CV will directly respond to what the employer is looking for), but it will also be blatantly obvious to an employer that this is no generic template in their hands.

Feeling confident about putting together a newly polished CV? Upload or create a new one on Monster, set it to 'Visible' and let employers come to you.