Personalise your CV

Paul Bryson from Ribbonfish mentions; ‘We also see a lot of “blanket approach” CVs and covering letters, which will never get an applicant very far. Weirdly, we sometimes receive CVs written in the third person, which makes it sound like a letter from their parent.’

Personalise your CV to the job and create a unique CV for each application you make. It may be easy to bulk send CVs but it will often have a negative impact on your job search.

Prioritise the skills you used in each job in order of relevance to the job you are applying for and make sure you’ve included any relevant skills and attainments mentioned in the job description. This way employers will be able to see exactly what skills you have for the role without having to go through your whole CV.

Not being Consistent

Keep your CV consistent and in one set layout. Nicola McKelvey from Performance Communications finds candidates who don’t list dates her biggest pet hate; ‘No dates next to either education or work experience is something I find annoying. It means I have no idea how long the person was at a company for or when they graduated.’ List your employment history in chronological order and keep dates clear. By keeping your previous employers in order, interviewers will be able to see your career progression to date and asses your skill set so far.

Keep your layout concise and to the point. Use the same style format throughout your CV to ensure it’s easy to read and never make your CV longer than two pages. Employers will receive a wealth of CV applications and anything longer than two pages will be overwhelming for the reader.

Don’t make it Boring

In today’s economy and an increasingly competitive job market it’s become even more essential to make sure your CV stands out from the crowd. No employer wants to read that you enjoy reading and spending time with friends. We all do. Think about a hobby or interest you may have that makes you different and will grab the reader’s attention.

Using boring and bland language is another bad CV habit to break. Whilst being a team player may tick off a recruitment buzzword, explain how you’re a team player and back it up with an example. It’s all about showcasing your individuality and showing how you’re different from the rest.

Bad Grammar and Spelling Mistakes

Bad grammar and spelling mistakes can make or break a CV. You may have all the relevant skills and attributes for the role, but if you haven’t proofread your CV it can say a lot more about your work ethic than you think. Nicola from Performance Management mentioned poor grammar is; ‘sloppy and careless and not someone I would want to employ’.

Check, double check and then get a friend or family member to look over your CV too. Obvious mistakes can often be missed once you’ve spent a long time looking over something and a fresh pair of eyes will only benefit your CV and your application.

Use Keywords

You may have put you have great computer skills, but what software do you know how use? If you’re confident at using Adobe packages such as InDesign and Photoshop then make sure you include that on your CV. If you’ve worked with an important brand or client include that too.

Employers will scan your CV for keywords and many recruiters will use scanning technology to highlight key skills and pull out important data from your application. By including the relevant terminology on your CV your application will highlight the key attributes you possess for the role.

Stick to the Facts

Whatever you do, don’t lie. If you get to interview stage you may be asked if you really are fluent at French and how you handled your master’s degree. Stick to the facts that you can back up with solid examples.

Make sure you provide a context to your achievements too. If you managed a small team, how did you manage the team? If you work in retail, how did you meet your targets? If you mention a skill, provide a background story but remember to keep it concise.

Easy Formatting

Whilst you may be a technology whizz its worth remembering that not all computers are updated with the latest software. If an employer can’t open your CV straight away then it’s likely you’ll be left on the CV scrap heap.

If you’re saving your file in Word make sure you save it as a .doc file. This will enable the majority of computers to access your CV trouble free. Alternatively, you could also save your file as a PDF.

With a few easy to follow steps and a refreshed approach to job hunting your application will stand out from the rest.

Search for your next opportunity or register your details at: http://www.halesgroup.co.uk/