International Literacy Day - top tips for writing your CV

For International Literacy Day, we've compiled a short list of ways to improve your CV. Being the first and sometimes the hardest hurdle to applying for a job, we want you to know we're here to help.

CV writing can seem daunting, but remember: it's about what you can offer, not about who has the most fancy writing and CV design!

With online courses, videos and articles, and platforms to connect with like-minded professionals, there are endless opportunities to learn new skills and show employers how much value you have to offer.

What's more, you can usually find free downloadable CV templates on most job-search sites. But first, here are just a few ways you can communicate better to your niche target audience: employers!

Understanding your Job Search

Each job is different, and knowing where you stand in the industry is sometimes half the battle. Are opportunities easily accessible and frequent? Will you need specific contacts, or a niche qualification? Is there a job title that best matches your skills? Once you know what is available to you, you can start to think about what these employers are looking for.

Taking Stock

Here at Acorn, we'll find jobs that are best suited to you, but it never hurts to go that extra mile. Making a list of skills needed for a variety of job levels, and noting which skills need improving, is a good way to narrow down your job search, and will inspire you for our next step!

Self-Led Learning

If you have the time, seeking learning opportunities will help employers know you use your initiative and can take on responsibility. With online course deadlines and platforms to learn and share work with others, we can now create expectation and a sense of responsibility that helps to bring us closer to similar work environments. Now that you've found which job titles and skills you'd like to strengthen, you can start your search for a more specific and useful courses. Volunteering or doing administrative work

Free CV Templates

With extra experience under your belt and a more specific understanding of your skills and potential job types, you are now in a stronger position to write what you've been up to, what you're looking for, and what skills you can match! Using free CV templates can take out a lot of the initial work, so you can start filling in the blanks.