10 tips to help get your CV to the top of the Interview pile…
It needs to read from the hirer’s perspective, using their language, ticking their boxes, not yours. Make sure the language is relevant to the job you are applying for.
One size does not fit all! If you work in accounts and fancy a career change you should highlight all the transferable skills that are going to relate to your next move.
Don’t waffle…reliable, motivated, conscientious etc. are words without substance. Put substance behind it and then you have something powerful.
Make it easy to read with bullet points and well set-out fonts, and steer clear of pictures too. Unfortunately, it can create unconscious bias, even if you do look like supermodel.
Employers will scan read and make their mind up in 3-6 six seconds whether to read on. Make sure the first part hooks them in and tells your next employer why they should be hiring you!
Check for grammar, then give it to someone else to check over. I guarantee they will see something you don’t.
Don’t write War and Peace, two pages, no more.
Quantify results, don’t just say you are good, add proof.
Don’t just list your hobbies, list your achievements outside of work too, it shows another side to you and reinforces your personal drive.
Re-training is more productive than daytime TV and you might have to re-train. But before you do, make sure you know that your time and money won’t be wasted. Find how much easier doors will open once you have got your new qualification and be ready to take a step back to take a step forward.
A good CV will make the difference between a Reject or Interview. No matter where you are on the ladder of life, taking time to draft one of the most important documents you will ever hold is time well spent.
We have been in the recruitment industry for 25 years and have seen thousands of CVs, a lot of which end up in the Reject pile. It’s nothing personal but only one person a time normally gets hired…Just imagine being that person.
