How to craft your best CV
Your CV is perhaps the most important tool in your jobseeking toolkit, and is your prospective employer's first impression of you. Your CV should help you stand out and provide the reader with a clear overview of your experience, skills and competencies. Crafting the perfect CV is an art, but we are here to help! Here are the tips and advice we provide our candidates during their job search, now updated for the AI era.
Start with your contact details
Remember to always start your CV with your contact details, so that it is easy for those looking to hire you to get in touch. Include your name, telephone number, email address, and what town you live in, if this is important to those reading your CV. It can also be a good idea to include a footer with page numbers, in case the reader prints it out.
Write a short profile
This should be a summary of your qualifications – preferably in bold, and preferably tailored to the position you are applying for.
Stick to one format!
Dates – should be written the same throughout the CV, e.g. 01.01.22 – 01.01.23 or 01.2022 – 12.2023. Do not mix these, as this often looks messy. (We recommend that you use dates and not just years.)
Work experience – Write the company name at the top and the position you held below, preferably highlighted. If you have worked in other countries, it may be a good idea to write this at the back. In some cases, it may be an idea to write a little about the company.
Education - Write the name of the institution first, followed by the qualification obtained. Start with your more recent qualification.
Open with your current job, and work your way back in time.
If you have a long work experience, you can stop at, for example, the year 2000 and write «"Previous work experience is available upon request.".
Be selective
Should I include courses I've taken? There's usually no point in including a course you took in 1995, so be a little selective about what you choose to include. Courses and certifications that are relevant to the position you're applying for are most important to include. If you have certificates with expiration dates, it's a good idea to write down when they expire.
Include IT competencies
In today's technology-driven society, it is important to show that you are proficient in digital tools. Include which computer systems you have experience with, it is especially important to include systems that are used in the role you are applying for.
And maybe languages
Should I include languages? This is often not that important, but if you know several languages and it is important for the job you are applying for, it is a good idea to include them.
Should my CV be in English or Norwegian?
It can be a good idea to have a copy in both languages if you are applying for jobs in industries where English is the working language. A good rule of thumb is if the job advertisement is written in English, then send your CV in English.
Should I include a picture?
There is a lot of discussion around this, so you can choose for yourself whether you want to use the image or not. But, If you use a photo, we recommend a "professional" photo – not necessarily taken by a photographer – but perhaps not a vacation photo of you on the beach.
Remember to spell check!
Remember to run a spell check at the end. You can give an unfavorable impression if you are applying for a job that requires accuracy and attention to detail and there are typos in your CV.
Using AI when writing your job applications
AI and chatbots are increasingly being used in several industries, including recruitment and staffing, and you as a job seeker can also use these to your advantage when writing your CV. Here are some examples.
AI can provide inspiration if you get stuck.
Don't know where to begin? Start with a simple, generic template of a CV or cover letter for the specific role you are applying for (For example: "Can you write a cover letter for a HR Coordinator position?"). Then edit this thoroughly to tailor it to the specific vacancy and your own experience.
AI can suggest keywords that help you through the first screening round.
Larger companies that receive hundreds of applications ofte use AI programs for the first screening round of candidates. Your CV must therefore be written in such a way that the program recognises you as a potential candidate. Copy and paste the job description and ask the AI chatbot what keywords would be most important here. Make sure these keywords appear in your CV.
You can also do this yourself by looking at the desired qualifications and experience, and using this wording in your CV. This also shows that you have actually read the job description, and have not sent a "one size fits all" CV.
There are of course also pitfalls to watch out for when using AI. Here are some you should avoid.
Sometimes AI can overdo it.
AI has a tendency to generate long, extravagant-sounding texts. This can make you sound pompous, impersonal, or worse case scenario - a robot! Make sure that your language is simple and clear, and lean towards brevity when you can.
DO NOT submit any personal information!
Chatbots have heightened conversations around privacy and GDPR, and many bots do not have the security needed to ensure third parties cannot access the information stored in them. Never enter any personal or sensitive information into an AI chatbot.
We wish you the best of luck in your jobseeking journey! Click here for more tips and advice for jobseekers.
