PEDESTRIAN.TV has partnered with Flight Centre to whip that CV of yours into shape so that you can land your dream job. Flight Centre’s one of the greatest joints you can work at – employees get discounted trips, ‘famils’ (free trips to locations so that they’re familiar with it) + more. Keen? As luck would have it, they’ve got a bunch of positions available at the mo. Submit your banging new resume to ‘em HERE.
Y’know how it only takes a few seconds for you to decide if you’re attracted to someone? Well it’s the same for employers deciding if your resume ends up in the bin or not, with TheLadders’ ‘Keeping an eye on recruiter behavior‘ report suggesting that it only takes six seconds for a hiring manager to give you the yay or nay. Bleak crap, we know.
This is why it’s so important to have an ace CV if you’re dead set on a particular role. Without it, you’re kinda / sorta screwed.
Here are 7 bits of advice you should apply to your resume if you want to land your dream job.
1. ADDRESS YOUR EMAIL
You would’ve heard this time and time again, but it’s paramount to your success: DITCH YOUR UNPROFESSIONAL EMAIL ADDRESS.
There is to be no ‘2_cute_4_u’ or ‘bitch_slaya69s’ anywhere on your resume. ANYWHERE. Considering most applications are made digitally, your address is your first impression. You wouldn’t waltz into an interview, take off your pants and rub your junk on a potential employer’s desk, would you? ‘Cos this is the online equivalent of doing just that.
Dominique, National Recruitment Leader at Flight Centre Travel Group (who, BTW, are hiring right now – get applying for one of the best gigs going ’round HERE), echoes the idea of your addy being a first impression:
“Your email address is often part of the first impression when applying for a position online as it makes up part of your personal brand – it’s important to keep it simple and professional.”
Where should you head for a simple / professional address? Gmail, folks. It’s a decently regarded service across most industries. Keep it to a ‘firstname.lastname@gmail.com’ if possible.
2. KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO
Assuming you’re applying for something from a job advertisement, your resume should reflect the tone of that listing / business. Here at P.TV, for instance, resumes that read like your 80-year-old aunt Martha‘s dated vocab are scoffed at – especially when your application’s been submitted after reviewing a job posting written like one of our articles.
This is true for the other end of the spectrum as well. Your CV’s not going to be littered with fire abbreviations if you’re vying for a job at EY.
3. CUT THE CRAP
There’s a bloody huge difference between sounding professional AF and sounding like a malfunctioning robot. It’s time to cut the crap, y’all. How? Well, humans have these things called conversations. In these conversations, humans (99% of the time) never say they’re a: “results-oriented go-getter,” “motivated professional,” “seasoned communicator,” “superior negotiator,” or “team player.”
If you do encounter someone who uses those phrases, then don’t bother applying for the job – the robots are already amongst us. Spend your time preparing for a possible apocalypse instead.
“It can be difficult to show off your personality on paper,” says Flight Centre’s Pomario.
“Your CV is your opportunity to separate yourself from the rest. Outlining your interests, hobbies and facts about yourself can help to build a positive relationship with the recruiter, and could increase your chances of progressing.”
Your CV should be a conversation, regardless of if you’re pitching to a casual employer or a more professional one. Using business jargon will only make you look like a wanker.
4. TIMES ARE A’CHANGING
Times New Roman = you’re a basic. Comic Sans = you’re a primary school student. Curlz MT = you want to see the world burn, you sick bastard.
Opt for more modern, cleaner fonts like Helvetica and Arial for your resume (at 10pts).
Look, if you’re reading this, you’re probably chasing a job. Just as an FYI, the legends at Flight Centre want your fabulous-self working for them ASAP. Perks of working for ’em include: discounted travel, travel insurance, ‘famils’ (trips to the locations you’re sending your clients to so that you’re familiar with them) free financial and medical advice + more. This could very well be your dream job, y’all. HECK, it’s our dream job tbh. You can apply for Flight Centre HERE.
5. 50 SHADES OF WHITE
As any artist / designer will tell you, people LOVE themselves some white space. It makes things look like they, y’know, belong where they are. That being said, it’s often a struggle to have a heap of white space on something you want to use every inch of to communicate how fab you are.
Try and leave some gaps between the different sections of your resume, as well as buffers on the top / bottom.
6. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Infographics / graphics are an ace way to clearly communicate things on your resume. Your skills section, for example, could be broken down like the one below:
It’s a great way to avoid being annoyingly repetitive, as skill sections can often be (“proficient in Photoshop,” “strong at using Microsoft Office“ etc). PLUS, you save valuable space and show that you’ve gone the extra mile to impress.
Pomario points out, however, that a fancy lookin’ CV’s great, but it’s the guts of what’s in it that’s important.
“A beautifully designed CV will certainly attract attention, but ultimately it’s the content of your CV that matters.”
7. BE MINDFUL OF THE FORCE(S THAT BE), YOUNG PADAWANS
“Consider the person who has to sift through each and every single CV,” says Pedestrian JOBS Marketing & Community Assistant Paigge Warton.
“Think about how you could make the process a lil’ easier for them – it sounds blatantly obvious, but one way to do this is by placing the most important info at the top / on the first page.”
“For example: if you’re applying for a Social Media Role, you have experience as a Social Media Intern, but your current role has nada to do with Social Media… place that Social Media Intern experience above your current role.”
Paigge has seen a fair share of CVs in her day, so you better take her advice as gospel.
Best of luck out their battling unemployment and such, fam. Hopefully the above tips ‘n tricks come in handy / you’ve got cash rolling into your bank account soon.
If you’re chasing a new gig, then consider our mates at Flight Centre. They’ve got a heap of roles on the go ATM that might be just what the doctor ordered. Head HERE to suss ’em out.
Photo: Step Brothers.
