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Five ways to tell if you need a new CV
1. You’re getting back to work after a career break
There are multiple reasons why one may take a career break. Be it due to personal reasons such as raising a family or traveling; it is important to ensure that the time taken away from work should not be taken in the wrong way. Rewriting your CV is the best way to do this. Explaining the reasons for the gap in your CV is the first step. Next, you can talk about the transferable skills that you gained during the career gap.
If you have done any volunteer work during your gap year, taken up an online course, demonstrated new skills through any activity, all of this can be mentioned in your CV while revamping it. One example of a new skill is how you gained a flexible work ethic.
2. You are not getting interview opportunities
Have you spent hours applying for suitable job opportunities? And yet, you don’t hear back from the companies you applied to? This might be one of the biggest red flags to ignore when it comes to job search. You may initially feel defeated and succumb to the pressure. This may lead to you choosing a job that you don’t enjoy doing. However, there is a solution to this problem. And that is to revisit your CV to see what changes can be made.
After all, a CV is the first thing an employer sees while reviewing the applications and calling them in for interviews. Your CV is the indicator of whether you are a good fit for the job role or not. Ask yourself some important questions such as: Is the layout of my CV appropriate? Does it highlight my skills? Have I tailored my CV according to the job requirement? Is my CV too lengthy?
The answers to these questions may help you determine if you need to upgrade your CV. Without realizing it, there is a chance that you are overlooking common grammatical errors.
In the current world, technology is advancing rapidly. And so is the job market. To keep up with the fast pace of the ever-changing job market, it is important to check if your CV is relevant and needs to be updated.
The job roles and responsibilities were different several years ago when compared to today. Maybe your CV represents your skills from a few years ago, but are these skills relevant today? The chances are probably not. Your contact details, the CV layout, or the skills mentioned, there are several aspects that need to be updated.
4. You are making a shift in your career
When you decide to make a shift in your career, the first thing you need to do is to update your CV accordingly. The entire focus of your CV must shift in line with the new job requirements, new career goals, and a new personal statement.
Emphasizing your transferable skills, deleting the parts of your CV that are no longer relevant, adding the work experience that may help you find a new job, bringing in attention to detail on your most relevant and applicable skills are all important. Read the job description thoroughly. Understand what the role calls for. Doing so will help you understand what skills you should demonstrate in your CV. Adding relevant examples of work experience will also help.
5. You’ve had a recent success
Be it a promotion in your current company or earning a course completion certificate, awards for work performance, or any form of success and recognition, adding this to your CV is essential. You may have already started to apply your new skills practically, but keeping your CV up to date with your recent accomplishments will save you time in the long run.
When you aren’t actively looking for a new job, it may not occur to you to update your CV. However, it may help you land opportunities that you never even dreamt of. Recruiters will turn to your social media accounts or your LinkedIn profile to see if you would be the right fit for the candidate they require. Increase chances by updating your CV? Definitely a plus point.