Having a great C.V is an important part of job search, if not the most important. It’s the first thing a potential employer will see and it’s what they use to decide if you are worthy of an interview.
At Recruitment Avenue we strive to make sure that when you register with us we do all we can to help you get the job you deserve. Our Candidate Services section has a great CV template along with a CV guide and other valuable topics to help you.
No matter what job you are applying for, be it jobs in travel or a CEO of a major corporation – You must have a top notch CV that will force them to interview you. So here are our top 5 tips for writing a CV.
1. Keep the design simple.
When a hiring manager is looking through piles of CV’s, they need to be able to see the important information within seconds. If they see a cluttered and unorganised mess on the CV they will presume you too are cluttered and unorganised and will put your CV in the NO pile.
Using fancy fonts is also a big mistake. You need your CV to be as easy to read as possible, that means a standard font that the eyes are already accustomed to. Having a professional CV is very important, so no hearts or smiley faces.
2. Include important keywords.
Reading over the job description will give you plenty of keywords you can use in your CV. Showing an industry understanding of relevant terminology will make you suitable for further consideration. It shows you have industry knowledge. If the job description asks for “Problem Solvers” then this should go in your CV.
Technology has come a long way and that’s no different for recruiting. Technology is used to scan CV’s and detect important keywords. So by having these keywords your CV will be highlighted or placed in the YES pile.
3. Positive use of “Power Words”.
Using words and phrases such as “I did this”, “I did that”, “I worked as” and so on, can be tedious for someone who is reviewing hundreds of CV’s with the same wording. So using words such as “Implemented”, “Initiated” or “Executed” will no doubt make your CV a much more interesting read.
There is a trap here though! You need to be aware of Buzz Words, words that water down the content of your CV and add no real value. “I worked with a team of sales people to increase our conversion” says the same as “I worked very hard with a dedicated team of amazing sales men and women to radically increase and improve our current sales conversion to a higher percentage”, but with less words and is much more straight to the point.
4. Tailor make each CV.
Every job out there will have its own requirements and will be looking for different skills. Even the same skills may use different lingo from one company to another. To make sure that your own set of skills and experience match exactly what they are looking for you must align your CV to the job advert.
At Recruitment Avenue we have a great CV guide, which includes this step. Whenever we submit your CV to a client we will ask you to amend your CV to meet the needs of the job you are applying for. It’s important that you save your copy as the job name or company so that when you go for an interview you will remember what key words you used and what past experience you chose to add to the CV.
It is important to add here, that by this we do not advocate that you lie on your CV, that you only chose the skill set and experience that is relevant to the job. You may have experience with 20 different companies but it is only the relevant ones you will mention on your CV.
5. Get professional help with your CV.
While you may be perfectly capable of writing your own CV to an acceptable standard, you never just want acceptable. You want a CV that is beyond acceptable and will stand out from the hundreds that will pass over manager’s desks. Standing out is very important.
Recruitment Avenue will always check your CV and advise you of improvements to make and can give something that is definitely going to improve your chances of getting an interview, but a professional writer can turn something “Acceptable” into something OUTSTANDING!
If this is something you wish to take advantage of, we can help and point you in the direction of people we have used ourselves.
Don’t forget that your CV is your first impression with a company and it is important that you make an impression that counts. Interview practice and technique is important but if you are not given that opportunity of an interview because your CV fails you, then interview practice is not worth a bean to you.
Don’t forget to register with us at this link: Register Here and let us take a look at your CV and get the ball rolling with getting you that job!
Good Luck