Your CV is like an advertisement of yourself. It displays who you are and what you’ve achieved. So how do you make potential employers stop and take a second look? Better yet, how do you entice them to decide to buy what you’re selling? Aside from utilizing professional CV writers, here are the 10 successful CV writing tips that guide you to get the best results:
- Keep it Concise
Your CV should be short, ideally no more than 2 sides of the A4 paper. Recruiters and potential employers have only about 8 seconds to read through the CV. If you choose to detail everything that’s happened since you were born, they won’t find any of the relevant information. Keep your CV short, punchy and to the point. Any details can be clarified at the interview stage.
- Tailor the CV
Make sure that the CV is relevant to the position you are applying for. The best way to ensure this is to research the company and use the job application advertisement to gauge exactly what skills you should highlight and which ones you shouldn’t even mention.
- Don’t Forget to Include a Personal Statement
Don’t assume that the recruiter will make the connection between your experience and the job. A brief personal statement to tie your work experiences to the specific company role you are applying for.
- Don’t Leave Gaps
Gaps in your CV will make the recruiters suspicious that something in your work history or education is missing and since they have to look at too many CVs, they are unlikely to give you the benefit of the doubt. If there is a time you were out of work, include it but put a positive spin on it. For example, did you acquire any special skills during this time?
- Keep it Current
You should also update your CV regularly, whether you are actively seeking employment or not. Record everything significant that happens in your career before it slips your memory.
- Ensure it is Error Free
Recruiters around the word swear that the easiest way to sift through CVs that are worth a second look and those that aren’t is to scan for mistakes. You don’t want to give recruiters and employers who have to go through so many applications a simple reason to trash your CV even before they get to know you.
- Be Honest
Companies will always check the facts so ensure that you are telling the truth on your CV. There is nothing worse than getting caught on a lie during the interview stage.
- Include Compelling Facts
It is important to back up the facts in your CV with numbers. For example, instead of telling the recruiter that you increased sales tell them you increased sales by 70% in a 6-month period. As long as this is true and verifiably so, it will set you apart from the competition.
- Make it Look Good
Take the time to format the CV so that it not just looks organized but to ensure that it is easily readable. Use bullet points and keep sentences short.
- Include Relevant Keywords
If you are going to be uploading the CV to a job site so recruiters can find you, ensure that your include keywords that are relevant to the job you are looking for. This will help search engines pick up your CV, making it easier for your CV to stand out from the millions of CVs online.
