When it comes to finding your perfect job, making sure that your CV is up to date and stands out from the crowd is paramount. The key to securing your dream job is ensuring that your CV accurately reflects your skills and demonstrates why you’ll be a great fit for the company you’re applying to.
“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work”
ARISTOTLE
We’re going to share our top tips for crafting a successful CV that helps you secure the interviews you want.
Be honest and real
First and foremost, only include details that are true… it may seem obvious, but many people have been shown up at interview stage when they can’t back up the detail they’ve put in their CV. Secondly, keep your CV succinct and to the point, including all of the most important details and leaving the less significant details for the interview.
One size does NOT fit all
So many candidates create a ‘one size fits all’ CV that they fire out to lots of potential employers for a variety of roles. This does not work. Ensure that you are tweaking your CV to ensure that it fits for the role and company you’re applying to. Research the company and analyse the job advert to pick out key skills that you have that match with the role.
Don’t leave any gaps
Leaving large gaps between jobs can be unsettling for employers, if you have been out of work can put a positive spin on it? Were you studying? Did you take a course to improve your skills? Let employers know! Whatever the reason for your unemployment it pays to be honest.
An eye for style
In more recent years it’s become more apparent that first appearances are really important when it comes to CV’s. With a pile of applications for one role, what’s going to make yours stand out? Other than your awesome skills, you also need to showcase what makes you unique through your style. Consider taking some time to pretty up your CV - there are loads of great CV design resources online, our favourite are the templates in Canva.
Cash in on keywords
If you are planning on uploading your CV to a recruitment or job website it’s imperative in this day and age that your CV is keyword applicable. That is, ensuring that your CV includes keywords that will help a search engine pick you out for the role you’re looking for. Job titles and buzzwords that are relevant are hugely important - consider including words like customer services, customer experience and customer excellence. It’s a good idea to look at job adverts and pick out keywords that have a common theme throughout.