Having a killer CV is essential when you apply for a job that requires one. It can’t blend into all the other CVs that look almost identical to yours. But when you’re trying to keep it professional, you can’t do anything too whacky. So when recruiters look at hundreds of CVs for each position, how are you meant to make yours stand out? It can feel an impossible task but you can make your CV eye-catching. There are a number of things you should do if you want your CV to get you through to the next stage of the recruitment process. Start with the ones below:
Keep It Short and Readable
Your CV needs to be as concise as possible, while still showing off the best bits about you. Ideally, it shouldn’t be any longer than two single sides of paper. It needs to be well-spaced too so that it’s easy to scan. As much as it might be nice for people to read it thoroughly, it’s probably going to get a quick glance at most. Making it readable means you can’t make the font smaller to fit more in, either. You need to think about including all the parts of your work, education and skills that are relevant to the job. There’s no need to list everything you’ve ever done in an attempt to impress.
Use a Professional Service
If you don’t know where to start, using a professional service could help you craft your CV. They can put together all the essential information in a format that recruiters want to see. There’s a science to the perfect CV and they can help you get it right. Use a service like Purple CV to make sure you get a CV that has been written from scratch. It’s a good idea to get one main CV and then to tweak it every time you apply for a job. You can have a CV created for different stages in your career and even a specialist one for a highly specialised field.
Customise for Each Job
It’s essential that you review your CV for each job you apply for. Don’t assume that it’s one size fits all, especially when you’re applying for a diverse range of jobs. You need to make sure your CV fits in with the objectives and tone of the company. Each time you send out your CV, make sure you’ve taken a look at the job description and researched the company.
Include a Profile and Objective
If you summarise why you should be hired in a couple of sentences, you should. That’s part of the purpose of a personal profile and an objective. You have the chance to lay out your key attributes and where you’re hoping to take your career. It’s also an opportunity to say what the rest of your CV doesn’t. Everything else will show your past and present activities, but you can also talk about what you want for the future.
Writing the perfect CV isn’t something you just do once. You have to keep adjusting it for each job and throughout your career.
