We all know that when it comes to looking for a new career, searching for a job can be a job in itself. So, it’s important to recognise that your CV could be just the passport to get that foot in the door and land yourself an interview opportunity. So what are the best ways to put your best foot first, and make that best and first impression to ensure your CV is added to the interview shortlist, as opposed to your CV getting thrown to the scrap heap of other CVs.
Creating a great CV is pretty straightforward once you know how. It’s a simple case of compiling all of your transferable skills, career experience, key achievements and tailoring them to the role that you’re applying for. We’ve put together the following simple CV tips that will help you get going in creating a winning CV and landing your new role.
Make no mistake, there is a right and a wrong way to write a CV, and thankfully as we are some of the best CV writers in the UK, and we will show you exactly how to do it. So be sure to include the most important sections. These sections include: your personal profile and contact details; your work history and/or career experience; your key achievements, education and qualifications; relevant key skills; your person interests, achievements or hobbies; and some references.
Another CV tip for you, a really good interview winning CV is always pristinely and well-presented. The layout of the CV must always be clearly well-structured when you are using Microsoft Word.
It’s worth remembering that you must capture the reader’s attention as you only have 30 seconds to 1 minute to make that first impression. So be sure to make sure that you speak about yourself in a very positive manner and to put your best foot forward.
A really great CV must be kept to the point, clear, concise and demonstrate really clearly how much value you have added to a business. Your CV is simply a great document that can display what qualities you have to offer an employer, and this is your moment to shine and it’s your opportunity to make sure that you can tick all of the right boxes, and if you’ve covered all the bases, this will most certainly increase your chances in getting called back for an interview.
A lot of job seekers overthink this part, and they don’t realise that all clues are in the job description, so be sure to carefully read the details of the JD, it will most definitely help you and give you head start in knowing how to meet the required criteria. This is a good opportunity to crosscheck and see what skills you already possess that are in the job description.
Within the skills section of your CV remember to clearly talk about your many transferable and diverse key skills, we see this a great game changer and can often help secure interviews. Listing your skills in bullet point form will allow you to stand out from the crowd. These skills will include: leadership, teamwork, communication, strategic approach, problem solving, analytical skills, IT skills, relationship management, client / customer service and (or) even speaking a foreign language(s).
When you’ve established what the job entails and how you can match each requirement, create a CV specifically for that role. Remember, there is no such thing as a generic CV. Every CV you send to a potential employee should be tailored to that role so don’t be lazy and hope that a general CV will work because it won’t.
We always get asked, “do I need different CVs for different job roles”, in part yes, and in part not always. It’s always good to create your main general CV which you can then tailor slightly just in case you are looking for a range of roles that require a range of differing skills.
Use positive and assertive language within the career history, such as “Led”, “Spearheaded” or “Accomplished”. It would be great to try to relate the skills you already possess and compare to the job role you’re applying for.
This section, in our opinion, gets overlooked many times. This is also a great opportunity to show to an employer that you are human being and have interests and hobbies outside of the world of work. Here, you can demonstrate any examples of positions of responsibility, being part of a team or anything that displays that you can use your own proactive initiative. For example, if you were the captain of a local sports team, or that you are the president of the PTA school board.
References should be from someone who has employed you in the past and can vouch for your skills and experience. You don’t need to add the actual contact details of a referee, otherwise they will get bombarded with calls from recruiters fishing for new job vacancies to take to market.
It really goes without saying, you never know when the next opportunity will arise, so having a fully updated CV is always a great to have so that you’re ready to take full advantage. It’s crucial to review your CV on a regular basis and add any new skills or experience that’s missing.
