Your CV needs to be written in plain English, people need to be able to understand what you do and not misunderstand it.
So quite a useful test (and I do realise I am making an assumption that you are married and have in-laws) is to give your CV to the in-laws, or failing that to an aunt or uncle or someone slightly disconnected from you. Ask them to scan your CV for 10-20 seconds and tell you what you do.
Now some of them may have a head start, and already understand exactly what your job is. But try and choose someone who doesn’t, because in reality it will be somebody who does not know you at all who will be picking up your document and trying to decipher it. And if they cannot do so easily and quickly you may quickly get rejected.
Sadly the world today is all about instant impact. And if you cannot make that, then you fall behind others in the queue.
So a CV that is well laid out, simple to navigate and clear is essential. It is not about flashy colours, good illustrations and so on, because recruiters want to find the information they need to know in the places they expect them to be.
So try the in-laws test. How quickly does your CV tell them what they need to know?
