5 ways to make your CV more effective
5 ways to make your CV more effective
5 ways to make your CV more effective
Imagine the situation, an HR manager has recently placed an advert for a current vacancy, and is presented with 40 applications for the job. They have set aside two days to conduct interviews, so they can expect to interview about 10 candidates... imagine your CV was at the bottom of that pile of 40 applications. After the HR manager has spent hours reviewing the 39 applications, is your CV going to stand out as one to keep?
To get your CV noticed, it must be brief but informative, clear to quickly read yet unique, interesting and professional. Getting the right balance is a difficult task, but it is acheivable for everyone, even if you are writing your first CV. Follow these simple tips to make your CV stand out amongst the competition:
1. Less is more. Don't overcomplicate the formatting, or use too many different fonts, and leave some empty spaces. Too much text just looks crowded and unprofessional, and means the important facts could get missed by the employer. Cramming in too much information will not do you any favours. Your CV does not have to be a comprehensive list of every job you have every had, it just has to include the relevant job history and education which is relevant to the job you are applying for.
2. Symbols within the text can help facts and figures stand out better. Use and % symbols. Which of the following stands out better? "Within a team which achieved a 30per cent increase in sales," or "Within a team which achieved a 30% increase in sales." The additional benefit of using symbols is that it shortens the length of text so your page looks less crowded!
3. Bullet points are a must! Unless the prospective employer has a lot of time, or has been particularly interested by something on your CV, long pros will probably not be read. Separate your points into single sentences, or perhaps two sentences so that these important aspects of your experience will jump out to the reader.
4. Make reference to the attributes and experiences noted in the job advertisement. The chances are the first person to read, and possibly reject your application, is the person who wrote the advert and is looking for specific skills and keywords. If the job requires a particular number of years of experience in a certain field, or understanding of particular software, or a diriving licence, or an ability to travel, then make a point to state which of the listed items you pocess (although it is not necessary to point out that you don't have something which has been asked for!!).
5. Impact words. It is very easy to assume that the person reading your CV know exactly what you are talking about and what experience you have had. REMEMBER that to a prospective employer, all you are is a cover letter and a CV, and if the relevant information isn't there then your reader won't know it! Use words that make an impact and create an image of your abilities for the reader.
Use words which explain you can not only 'do' but also 'achieve' such as led, accomplished, drove, increased, directed, produced. It is always a good idea to make statements of what you have actually accomplished.
When creating your CV, remember that employers seeking new recruits will almost certainly be inundated with CVs, many of which will look exactly the same. Your CV must stand out against other equally qualified candidates to a reader within the average 10 second glance. If you use the tips mentioned above, your CV will immediately stand a considerably better chance of being noticed at getting you into the the next stage.
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