To create my CV started by writing all of the content for it. We were to use a tool called CV360 for this process to keep us on the right track.
I wrote up my first draft and I think it went pretty well. CV360 had a different opinion however. It flagged 12 issues with this draft. 5 of which were in relation to the file type That being said most of these are due to my submission being a pdf as it didn't accept any of the other formats that I tried. Aside from the presentation, another area that hit for a lot of fails was the language that I used. These were issues such as bad grammar, lack of personal descriptors and lack of action words. This is a good dose of feedback that allows me to actually add some new content to my CV.
Once I had taken on the feedback provided by CV360 my score improved drastically. I was in the green, but I still had 6 fails. Again most if not all of these fails were due to the file type and due to aspects that I believe can’t be improved, for example the inconsistent capitalisation of certain words even when they are capitalised in the correct context. It flagged a grammar mistake for the same reason and suggests that I don’t have education dates when I do.
CV360 allows the user the ability to dismiss certain failures. If I were to dismiss those that i think are being applied incorrectly my score jumps up again to 98%. This is great news and a number I am content with. The one failure left is in regards to the word count which I just fall short of. If this proves to be of any issue when designing the CV then it’s something I will revisit but for now I am content.
When it came to structuring the content of my CV I started by writing down all of the sections that I thought were necessary. These were things like a personal statement, experience, education, and skills. Once I had everything written out, the challenge was to decide on the order and how much space each section deserved. I wanted my experience to be the focus, so I made sure it came first after the personal statement. Education and skills followed, but I kept them short and to the point. A lot of the process was about cutting down and rewriting so that the information was clear without being overwhelming. I found it useful to keep asking myself what an employer actually needs to know, and that helped me strip away anything that felt like filler.
Another important part of writing my CV was thinking about the tone of voice I was using. I didn’t want it to sound too formal and stiff, but at the same time it had to remain professional. Finding that middle ground was quite tricky at times, especially when describing my responsibilities and achievements. I tried to keep the language active and confident without it sounding forced. Consistency was also key, I didn’t want some parts to sound casual and others too rigid, so I went back through my writing several times to make sure the voice felt even across all sections. The aim was for the CV to read as professional, approachable, and clearly aligned with the type of designer I want to present myself as.
I spent some time writing and refining my CV. The feedback I received was over a 2 week period and documented in my class notes. I was to include my references and to strengthen the language I use, especially around design. I began by going through each section of my CV and thinking about where design naturally fits into the skills and experiences I already have. It became clear that a lot of the projects I’ve worked on involve elements of user research, interaction design, and usability, but I hadn’t been explicit enough in the way I described them. I started rewriting some of the bullet points to highlight these aspects more clearly, using terms that are more commonly associated with design so that they stand out to anyone reading. Adding references also felt like a straightforward but important improvement, as it helps to support the credibility of my experience and makes the document feel more complete. Overall, the process of reworking my CV has been about tightening the language, making sure it communicates my focus on design, and presenting myself more effectively for the opportunities I want to pursue.