Making Your CV Stand Out

Employers and recruiters receive anywhere from dozens to hundreds of CV’s when looking for talent to fill a vacant position. When applying for a job, the CV is the first impression a potential employer receives, and since a CV is supposed to be a representation of who we are and what we can do, it is important to make sure it stands out from the sea of others being submitted.

There are many steps that can be taken to ensure your CV is professional, eye-catching and informative, and here we look at some of the best tips out there to get you noticed.

Clear and Concise

Make sure all information is displayed in a clear and concise manner highlighting your education and experience relevant to the role. Prospective employers rarely read an entire CV so how yours is structured will have a direct impact on how much information is seen. CVs should be presented in an attractive layout, with clear subtitles, good spelling and grammar and proper paragraph format to make the information included within them easily recognisable and distinctive. Avoid making your CV too lengthy, however, DO include a personal statement highlighting the skills and experience relevant to the role. This only has to be a few lines long.

Emphasise your Experience

Your work experience is what prospective employers are most interested in seeing so you need to make sure the experience section of your CV is properly emphasised to capture attention, so be careful to select experience that is relevant for the job you are applying for. If there is no previous employment experience that directly relates to the position than student jobs, volunteer work and any placements can be used. If none of those are available either than the education portion should be listed first on the CV.

Change your CV depending on the job you’re going for

Many people looking for work these days send the same CV off to each employer, and wonder why they don’t hear anything back. Tailoring your CV doesn’t have to take ages though – have a master CV and pull the relevant parts together depending on the role you’re looking to take up. Something as simple as highlighting different skills or experience further up the page can be the difference between a rejection and an interview.

Make Contact Details Easily Noticeable

Even the most well presented and impressive CV is not at all effective if the applicant cannot easily be contacted for follow up phone call or interview. It is advisable to provide several means in which to be contacted including home and mobile phone numbers, email and postal address so employers are never expected to search for a way to get in touch. Taking the time to make your CV attractive and informative can be what sets you apart from other applicants and attracts enough attention to get you to the interview. From there you will be able to really demonstrate your knowledge, experience and individuality and hopefully get that all-important job offer.