Crafting the perfect CV can be a huge challenge, especially if you have been in your current position for a number of years, even decades… this may be the first time you have needed create a CV.
Remember that most employers spend just a few seconds scanning each CV before sticking it in the ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ pile. Some even use artificial intelligence (AI) programmes to scan and sort the first batch of CVs they receive, so keep it relevant! key.
Here are a few tips to increase your chances of success.
Short and Sweet
Try and keep it under two pages. Use bullet points and keep sentences short. Employers spend, on average, just eight seconds looking at any one CV, and a surefire way of landing yourself on the no pile is to send them your entire life story. Keep it punchy, to the point, after all you’ll need something to talk about at the interview.
Tailor it
Change the details on your CV so the details are specific to the business and role you are applying to. Research the company and use the job advert to work out EXACTLY which skills and experiences you should be highlighting. Remember you should be responding to the job ad.
Doing this will make life easier for the recruiter whether they are in-house or external. They will be searching for candidates that match criteria they have communicated on the job description. Tailoring a CV means it might end up being the perfect CV they are looking for.
Get personal
Craft a succinct personal statement to convey why you are the best person for the role. Successful CVs are ones that cover the right bases in all the right places, so a tailored personal statement is important if you want to write a good CV.
This should be reflected in your cover letter as well.
Keep it current
Whether you’re looking for a job or not you should keep your CV up to date. Do you remember every achievement and success at work off the top of your head? Each time something significant occurs in your career, record it somewhere so you don’t later- it could be important.
When it comes time to apply for a new role, you’ll be armed with all the information you need to craft a successful CV.
Harness the power of metrics
This may sound boring, but by backing up your achievements with numbers and quantifiable metrics it makes selling yourself much easier. Recruiters are on the lookout for evidence of tangible results. It’s all very well describing with words how you boosted sales, but cold hard numbers are so much more persuasive. Great CV examples tap into the power of metrics throughout.
Tell the truth
It may seem obvious, but blatant lies on your CV could land you in trouble when it comes to employers checking your background and references. The last thing you want is to start work and then lose your new job for lying. You also may get caught out at the interview stage when you suddenly can’t answer questions on what you claim to know. And that can be very awkward.
Make it keyword friendly
Now more than ever, keywords are very important, particularly when you have uploaded your CV to a Job site. Job titles and job buzzwords will help a search engine pick out your CV from the pile. For example, a marketing candidate might mention “SEO” (Search Engine Optimisation), “direct marketing” and “digital marketing” among their experience and skills, for example. If you’re not sure, have a search online and see what words are commonly mentioned when you input your job title. The job advertisements for the roles you’re going for will also point you in the right direction.
Check for errors
You have gone to all the effort of noting your achievements, checking key words, but then you notice there are a couple of Typos.
Employers do look for mistakes on CVs and if they find them, it can give a poor impression, and frankly undermines all the time and effort you have spent crafting, and your perfect CV. As we mentioned, may be overwhelmed with applications for roles. Typos and errors suggest a lack of attention to detail, but they are easily fixed. Use a spellchecker and ask someone else to sense check what you’ve written.