How To Tailor Your CV During Lockdown

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Youth Employment UK have been providing young people with advice about all things careers, skills and CVS since 2012. That’s why we’ve asked them to give you their top tips on tailoring your CV during lockdown...

Getting your CV right can be tricky, there’s a lot of information online and plenty of people you know will have an opinion on what - or what not - to include.

Because of coronavirus, the job market is going to be tougher for all of us, and there’ll be more competition for every job that becomes available. This means that your CV, which is often the first impression you give to an organisation, needs to be really good. You have to stand out from the crowd and show your best self off! 

But how do you do that? How do you make your CV shine?

Do your research 

Tailoring your CV to show the employer why you care about their company and how your skills are just what they are looking for is a must! So make sure you really know the company (what their vision, mission and values are) and the job role you're applying for. It can be tempting to just send lots of general CV’s out, but taking the time to reference the organisation and the skills they are looking for can make all the difference and improve your odds.

You may have had less of a chance to gain work experience this year, so tell the employer the ways you’ve developed your skills in lockdown. If you’re worried your CV might be looking a little sparse right now, don’t fret, it’s never too late to pick up some new skills!

Maybe you completed a free course that was made available or learnt how to code. Maybe you tried a different style of cooking or picked up a new language. Even if you have completed a course for fun it will show an employer that you care about skills and learning and we bet there are some transferable skills in there too. 

If you had to look after younger siblings, help around the house or manage yourself whilst your parents were at work, all of these activities build up your self management skills, show responsibility, trust and maturity, so don’t be shy talking about them.

Highlight volunteering efforts

You may also have been involved in helping your community during the coronavirus pandemic. Did you do some fundraising? Did you create parcels for family members? Or support people in your community? Why not get involved in NCS’s Keep Doing Good this summer, where you can volunteer your time and help the country get back on its feet. 

Make sure you highlight these types of activities to show that you are someone that steps up when people around you need your help.

Be self aware

Maybe you have found lockdown hard and can talk about the ways you have found to cope and stay sane! Being self aware and looking after your wellbeing is important too and most employers will value your honesty.

Get a Young Professional Certificate

At Youth Employment UK we created the free Young Professional programme for 14-24 year olds. By signing up and completing our quiz you will get a Young Professional Certificate which you can talk about on your CV. 

Sign up to the Newsletter and we will bring you weekly tips, challenges and opportunities to help you continue to develop your skills all the way into your first career.

And finally...

Proofread proofread proofread

It is so important that you check your CV for grammar and spelling mistakes and then get someone else to check it for you! Employers may assume that a badly spelt CV means that you will not pay attention to detail when you are working for them, and that is a risk businesses just can’t take.

We’ve also created a free Looking for Work Booklet that has lots of other useful advice, tips and activities to help you improve your job hunting chances. And you can check out our Young Professional Training opportunities, and Careers Hub to provide up to date support, inspiration and advice to help you with your next steps. 

Good luck!