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In a world where recruiters and hirers get inundated with CV’s, trying to get your CV to stand out from the crowd can be one of the toughest challenges of searching for a new job. Most employers spend very little time reading each CV, so it’s important to make yours readable and straight to the point.
Here’s our Top 6 tips to writing a strong CV.
KEEP IT EYE-CATCHING
On average, employers spend less than 10 seconds scanning a cv, so do yourself a favour - keep it short, keep it punchy, and omit the irrelevant details. Use bullet points and short sentences to keep the employer reading, and ensure the CV is laid out with space between each section to separate it.
TAILOR IT
It’s very easy to send the same CV to every job that you apply for to save time and get your CV to as many companies as possible. Stop! Take the time to adjust your CV to make it the best match to each role you apply for. Read the job advert and use it to work out exactly what skills are most important for this role.
DON'T LEAVE GAPS
Try not to leave career/ work gaps, as this makes employers a little nervous. If you do have a gap in your employment, give the reasoning behind it and put a positive spin on it. Were you travelling or volunteering during that time? Have you taken a course or were you involved in a personal project which you managed?
MAKE IT PRESENTABLE
Make sure that you detail all of your key skills and achievements from each role you have held. This is most effectively done using bullet points. You should also give everything a date as the CV is a map of your education and work history. Note the month and year that you started and finished each role, so the recruiter is clear as to when and how long you worked there.
CUT OUT THE MISTAKES
With the sheer volume of CVs coming through to recruiters and hirers, a mistake is usually a sure-fire way of landing on the rejection pile. Spelling and grammar mistakes are particularly frowned upon these days with spellcheckers so easy to use. Mistakes in CVs stand out like a sore thumb; if they’re in there, employers will find them. Have someone proofread your CV, it’s a simple step to ensure your CV is error-free.
TELL THE TRUTH
Don’t lie, it’s just not worth it. It’s very easy to get caught out - keep in mind people talk. You may get caught out when interviewed if you’re unable to answer a question on something you claim to know all about. The last thing you want is to start a job and then lose it because you have been found out for lying on your CV.