Tips to take your career to the next level

After all the hard work and commitment it takes to achieve your qualification, it’s important to know how to effectively promote yourself.

Once you are ready to take your career to the next level, there are three main steps to getting your dream job – your CV, a customised cover letter and the interview.

In the first of Selmar’s three part series on career advancement, here are some tips to help you create the perfect CV.

Clear and relevant

Many employers only take about 20 seconds to read a resume so make sure your potential stands out immediately. Clearly list your organization, job title, length of employment and key responsibilities.

Be consistent in the font you use. Don’t type in all capitals, and avoid using lots of bold, italic or underline effects.  

Newest to oldest

Start with your most recent roles and qualifications to illustrate your ongoing career development. Work backwards through your career, noting any gaps (such as travel).

Sell yourself

Highlight key achievements and skills developed through your career history (and a Selmar course!) that might be relevant to the new position.

Be sure to include any practical experience with details of your responsibilities and successes.

Short and sweet

Your CV should be no more than two A4 pages, so keep your language clear and concise to get the key points across. Avoid unnecessary jargon.

Tailor your CV

Different roles require different skill sets, so tailor your CV to the job description. Talk up your most relevant skills and experience.

Interests

Sharing your interests lets your potential employer find out about who you are. It’s also an opportunity to talk about skills you’ve gained through your sports club or volunteer work.

References

Include at least two referees who can talk about your skills and experience. Ideally, your reference should come from a direct supervisor but a trainer is fine if you’ve never worked before.

Check and re-check

Read over your CV several times to look for spelling errors, and get the punctuation right. Get someone to proofread it. Many potential employers won’t give a CV a second glance if there is a spelling mistake.

An impressive, clear CV can make all the difference and take your career to the next level in no time.