6 Essential CV Elements to Secure Your Job Interview

Written by Marianna Štrbíková, Transformation and Career Coach, HR Professional

Marianna Štrbíková is an HR professional who has fallen deeply in love with Chinese Metaphysics, particularly the BAZI technique. She is also a Transformation and Business Coach and Career Counselor. She helps her clients discover who they are, live fulfilling lives, and find jobs they truly enjoy.

Are you looking for a job and writing your CV right now? Making the right impression is crucial to ensuring your CV stands out. Your CV is more than just a list of your experiences; it is a professional presentation of who you are as a candidate. So, what should you include, avoid, and be careful about when crafting your CV?

How can you secure the invitation for a job interview?

Thousands of CVs are sent to the Human Resources department every day. Recruiters usually take a few seconds to evaluate a resume's suitability. If your CV catches their attention, they are more likely to look deeper.

What are 3 things HR focuses on when reviewing a CV?

1. Keywords related to the job description: Recruiters search for keywords that match the job’s required skills, qualifications, and experience. Ensuring your CV contains relevant keywords increases your chances of being shortlisted.

2. Most recent work experience: HR professionals focus primarily on your latest positions to assess whether your experience aligns with the role. They look for explicit descriptions of your responsibilities and achievements.

3. Length of employment: Frequent job changes (e.g., every six months) may raise red flags for recruiters, who may question your stability and commitment.

6 essential things not to forget in your CV

1. Important information

• Personal details: You provide basic information such as your first name and last name, contact details, phone number and e-mail address. Avoid sensitive personal information like marital status and complete address.

• Education: You must include your relevant education, degrees, and certificates. The best way to do this is to start chronologically with the most recent ones.

• Work experience: You should mainly mention experiences pertinent to the position you are responding to, along with your responsibilities and key achievements.

• Skills: Include hard skills (e.g., programming, language skills) and/or soft skills (e.g., communication and teamwork).

2. Simplicity and structure

The CV should be clearly defined and easy to read. Clarity and proper structure will ensure that the resume is easy for HR to navigate and will increase your chances of being invited for a job interview. Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs. Using no more than two fonts and a consistent colour (black on white) is advisable.

3. Truthfulness and accuracy

All information should be truthful and accurate and reflect your professionalism. You should never exaggerate or provide misleading information. Recruiters often verify details, and dishonesty can damage your credibility. Ensure everything is current and relevant to the job you're applying for.

4. Customisation for each job application

Customise the CV to the specific requirements of the job. If the position requires a creative soul, then the resume may 'break' from the standard. Innovative and engaging graphics are unlimited. However, you must maintain structure and clarity.

5. Spelling and grammar check

Carefully check all spelling and grammatical errors in your CV. Mistakes may give others a negative impression of you.

6. CV length

You should ensure that CVs are no longer than two A4 pages. Avoid too many uncertain details that do not contribute to your qualifications for the job.

Additional elements to consider

1. Should you include a photograph?

A professional photograph is optional and depends on industry norms. A picture with a glass of champagne in your hand from last week's party or claiming on the mountain from a trip is not entirely appropriate. The photograph should primarily show your face and be relevant to the profession you are applying for.

2. References: Yes or no?

References are not mandatory but can strengthen your application. If a previous employer gives you a positive reference, you can include their contact information in your resume. References can provide a strong endorsement of your skills and character. You should only include references if they will speak positively about you.

3. Skills and interests: Are they necessary?

This section is not compulsory, and it's an extra opportunity to say more about you and show your human face. In practice, it is common for a hobby to become a profession over time. In these cases, adding them to the CV is also advisable.

For example, interests can indicate your personality, whether you are a team player or more of an individualist. In the case of graduates, human resources can also recognise the candidate's motivation.

There is no clear-cut answer when listing skills; if you decide to list them, they should be relevant to the job position or demonstrate valuable skills (e.g., leadership in team sports, problem-solving in chess).

Be careful if you add general expertise. HR may not understand your experiences.

What to add in conclusion?

If you are worried about leaving something out of your CV, you can use one of the publicly available templates on the web. However, you should not forget your creativity; it is not always correct to unquestioningly fill in the template according to the instructions. The recruiters will appreciate it if you play around with your CV and differentiate themselves from other applicants.

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Read more from Marianna Štrbíková

Marianna Štrbíková, Transformation and Career Coach, HR Professional

Marianna Štrbíková has over 20 years of experience in the HR field. After leaving the corporate world, she dedicated herself to helping clients uncover their unique personalities, strengths, hidden talents, and areas for growth. By doing so, she empowers them to harness their full potential and move forward in life. She firmly believes that understanding one’s personality is essential for transforming habits and behaviors.

What sets her apart from other HR professionals? As a Transformation and Business Coach and a Chinese Metaphysics Consultant specializing in the BAZI technique, she brings fresh and innovative approaches to coaching. She deepened her expertise in Chinese Metaphysics through studies in Malaysia.