When you’re looking for a new job, your CV could be just what you need to get your foot in the door and get an interview. But how can you make sure your CV gets added to the pile of candidates for an interview instead of being thrown away?

Once you know how, it’s easy to put together a good CV. You need to make sure that all of your skills and experiences fit the job you’re applying for. What if you don’t meet the right requirements, though? Well, I’ve put together these tips to help you start making a good CV and getting your first (or next) job in the arts.

  1. Do the simple things right
    There is no right or wrong way to write a CV, but there are some common parts you should include. These include personal and contact information, education and qualifications, work history and/or experience, skills that are relevant to the job in question, interests, accomplishments, or hobbies, and some references.
  2. Presentation is important
    A good CV is always printed on clean, crisp white paper and is put together carefully and clearly. The layout should always be clean and well-organized, and CVs should never be crumpled or folded, so send your applications in an A4 envelope.

Always remember the CV hotspot. The recruiter’s eye will naturally go to the upper middle of the first page, so make sure your most important information is there.

  1. Don’t go over two pages of A4.
    A good CV is clear, to the point, and makes every important point without going on and on. You don’t need pages and pages of paper. Just keep things short and sweet. A CV gives a potential employer peace of mind and gives you the chance to check all the right boxes. And if everything checks out, the chances of getting a job interview go up. Also, employers get a lot of CVs, so it’s unlikely that they’ll read each one from front to back. Most people will judge a CV in a few short paragraphs, so keep it to no more than two pages of A4 paper.
  2. Make sure you know what the job is.
    There are hints in the job application, so read it from beginning to end. Take notes and make bullet points, pointing out what you can do and what you can’t do. Fill in the gaps where you don’t have enough skills by using the ones you do have. For example, if the job needs someone with sales experience, you can talk about any retail work you’ve done, even if it was just to help pay the bills while you were in college. It will show what skills you do have and how they can be used elsewhere.
  3. Make the resume fit the job.
    Once you know what the job involves and how you can meet each requirement, you can make a CV that is tailored to that role. Don’t forget that there is no such thing as a standard CV. Every CV you send to a potential employee should be tailored to that role. Don’t be lazy and hope that a general CV will work, because it won’t.

Make a different CV for each job you want. You don’t have to rewrite the whole thing; you just have to change the details to make them fit.

  1. Using skills to their fullest
    Don’t forget to list key skills that will help you stand out in the skills section of your CV. These could be things like how to talk to people, use computers, work in a group, solve problems, or even speak a foreign language. Skills can come from the most unexpected places, so really think about what you’ve done to improve your own skills, even if it’s as simple as joining a local sports team or a volunteer group. It’s all relevant.
  2. Getting the most out of hobbies
    Under “Interests,” put in bold the things you do that show off skills you’ve learned and that employers want to see. Give an example of a time you took charge of something, worked as part of a team, or did something else that showed you could work on your own. For example, if you ran the newspaper at your college or if you started a football team that did well in a weekend league.

Include anything that shows you are interesting, skilled, and have a lot of different interests. Don’t list things like watching TV or other solitary hobbies that make you seem like you don’t know how to interact with other people. Make it sound like you are very interesting.

  1. Getting the most out of life
    Use strong, positive words like “developed,” “organized,” and “achieved” in the work history and experience sections. Try to make a connection between the skills you’ve learned and the job you’re applying for. For example: “The work experience involved working in a team,” or “This position required planning, organization, and leadership because I was in charge of a group of people.”

Even if you’ve only worked in a restaurant, you should really think about the skills and experience you’ve gained there. Every little bit helps.

  1. Putting in the references
    References should be from people who have worked with you before and can attest to your skills and experience. You can use a teacher or tutor as a reference if you’ve never worked before. If you can, try to add two.
  2. Keep your resume current.
    It’s important to look over your CV often and add any new skills or experience that’s not there. For example, if you just did some volunteer work or worked on a new project, make sure they’re on there. Potential employers are always impressed by candidates who go the extra mile to improve their own skills and experience.