Top tips to get your CV into shape!

We’ve got some tips on how you can get your CV in tip-top shape, making you stand out a bit more to potential employers.

So before we get started, here’s a few non-negotiable things you have to adhere to when looking to create your ideal CV.

• Always spell check
• Never lie about anything you have/haven’t done
• Always do your research about the potential recruiter and what skills or     competencies they are looking for
• Always keep your CV up to date
• Don’t be afraid to be bold
• Keep your CV to two pages max

Grab their attention

As they say, first impressions count. There are two things to keep in mind – the appearance of your CV and the first few lines of your CV. Let’s start with the appearance; make sure your CV is easy on the eyes. There are loads of free CV templates on the internet with cool layouts, that make use of images, icons and other interesting features. You don’t want your CV to paragraph after paragraph of boring text.

The first few lines of your CV is your statement piece because that plays a huge role in how the recruiter will read the rest of your CV, if at all. Staring with a summary of your skills and accomplishments is usually the way to go, however, don’t forget to include a personal component that will tell recruiters who you are, because, at the end of the day, you need to show that you (as a person and professional) can fit into a team.

Show your impact

Part of the reason a recruiter would hire you isn’t just the skills you could provide but also the impact. Businesses are constantly looking for people who will create a positive impact on their profit margins as well as their team/organisation. Therefore it’s important to show the type of impact you’ve had at your previous jobs eg. “I’ve brought in X amount of clients, that contributed to increasing the company’s revenue by Y%. The stats and figures you use should be relative to your septic industry or field… they don’t all have to be monetary related but rather showing the value you bring to that specific role.

Tailor your CV

Look, we all probably keep a stock and standard CV that’s ready to go at any moment, however, if you want yours to stand out just a notch you need to male sure you tailor it for the role that you’re applying for by explaining why you believe you can be the right candidate for that role and ideally creating a link between some of your accomplishments and the role at hand.

Most, if not all, employers want to get the feeling that their prospective employee truly knows and understands what is required from the role, so you never want to give your recruiter the idea that you’re willing to apply for any job. Show them why YOU are PERFECT for that job.

Don’t forget the basics

Yes, it’s important to give all the great insights into who you are but you should always remember to cover the basics, such as including your personal details, education history and work experience. Your prospective employer will want to know these finer details because, on top of potentially being a great fit into their organisation, it’ll also let them know that you can get the job done. Don’t be shy to include your accomplishments and hobbies as well, which can help give more insight into your motivations and character.

We wish you all the best and hope that this will help you create a unique CV to land your next job!