Bootcamp Highlights: CV 101 with Xero

Written by Justin EspinasKirk and Rod from Xero held a very informative talk on Monday about how we can get started or improve writing our CVs. With their years of experience in the tech industry, they had plenty of neat tips and tricks of nailing a CV that not only employers would be happy with, but one that you'd be happy with.They mentioned that the average amount of time people look at your CV is about 6 seconds so the layout of how you present your CV is really important. To help us, Kirk and Rod pulled up an interesting eye map that showed which areas of the page people look at the most. This was also helpful in explaining that the layout is important because you want to put all of the things you want your employers to see in the places where you'd expect them to be.Kirk and Rod reminded us that the purpose for your CV is to get you an interview. To help you with this, it is important to tailor your CV for the role you are applying for. Make sure to become familiar with the job description and focus in on the skills highlighted. Don't be afraid to show your creativity. We were shown some pretty neat designs of unique CVs that included bright colours and shapes. Your CV represents you so if you want to add your own style and flare then go ahead! Someone even programmed a little game that you had to play through as you walk by their CV information! However, we were told to always make sure you have a PDF version ready and available for times when they ask for a PDF file.