It’s fair to say that your CV most often gives the very first impression of what to expect from you to the recruitment team or hiring manager. Therefore, you need to make sure that yours is well-crafted so that you can find the best roles for you in the life science sector.
It’s tricky at the best of times to write a convincing and appealing CV, but in the life science sector, it’s especially important to make sure your profile truly stands out from the crowd. With that in mind, here are some top tips for things you absolutely must include in your curriculum vitae.
A Summary
Recruiters in the life science industry get countless CVs dropped on their desks every day. If you add an impactful, short summary at the head of your CV you’ll be able to grab attention right away. Put your experience, qualifications, and successes in bullet points so they’re easy to spot.
Keep It Brief
It’s tempting to add too much detail to a CV – after all, you’re trying to prove to the recruiters that you’re the perfect choice for the job. But hiring managers have no time to read a full essay – they want to know the basics. Practice the art of brevity – unless you have many years of experience and a long list of publications and patents, keep your CV to just two pages. You can go into more detail when you secure an interview.
Focus On Your Results
A key element to include in your CV is a clear demonstration of how the things you have done in your previous roles have resulted in positive outcomes. This will make you shine as a top candidate. Include statistics and figures as these show hiring managers instantly the kind of quantifiable impact you can have on their organization.
A Legible Font and Layout
It may sound obvious, but if a recruitment manager can’t read your CV it’s going to end up on the rejection pile. You must choose a legible font that is attractive and eye-catching. Avoid anything edgy or unusual. This isn’t the time to experiment.
Choose something neat but easy to read, and make sure that the layout is accessible too. Large chunks of text aren’t just boring but can be an actual deterrent, especially when hiring managers have countless CVs to plough through in one morning.
Using bold fonts, plenty of paragraphs, sub-heading, and bullet points are all good ways to catch the eye and make sure that recruiters see the most important points on your CV rapidly without any effort.
Securing That Job
If you follow the advice here, you should find that your CV is in good shape for the next life science role that you apply for. Don’t forget, too, that the whole point of a CV is to sell yourself, your skills, and what you can offer the company in order to secure an interview, so don’t be afraid to show what you can do and what you’ve achieved in the past.
You’re out to impress, so pull out all the stops to do so. That perfect life science job will soon be yours!