Writing a CV and making it stand out are usually two different things…
Whether you have finished school, college, university, or you are just looking for a new position, making your CV stand out is important if you want to get asked to an interview. Here are a few tips to help:
First Impressions
Your personal statement is the first thing an employer sees when they look at your CV, which means that a good first impression in essential as you them to read on.
First, focus on describing who you are, what you can provide, and what your career goals are –mention parts of the job description to help you point out specific skills the employer is looking for.
Secondly, make it distinctive. Anyone can talk about what they can do and what they can generate for a company using a different of grammar – however you want to stand out, so this means highlighting on your most impressive, appealing and appropriate skills and abilities.
The solution? Use examples to support your claims, but don’t go overboard. Outline the exact skills and experience that make you ideal for the job role, but keep it as brief as possible.
Find your Unique Selling Points (USP)
Job hunting can be tough.
This means that every job you apply for you could be up against several other candidates with the same skills and experience as you.
Hopefully, your USP can separate you, either by you have taken part in additional activities or charity work, or you use social media like LinkedIn to network with people in your industry, it’ll all help you to be noticeable above the rest.
Of course, make sure the key points are relevant to the job – and should highlight your capability to do the job role successfully.
Practical use of keywords
Don’t use keywords in every other word of a sentence, but you should keep them in mind when putting your CV together.
This is because numerous employers / companies use keywords to search for candidates, frequently building them around the job role they are hiring for, along with the requirements and responsibilities.
To make sure you are doing everything right, have a look at the job description and the company website for particular words and phrases the employer might be looking for.
Use Practical descriptions
It’s simple to say you’re excellent at something, but proving it? That can be harder.
To make sure you’re supplying real examples for every skill you mention, including how you reached the result, and what you did to reach it.
This will help you to converse key points clearly and quickly within the job details section of your CV.
This shows that you are able to go beyond your previous responsibilities, to get the best results and achievements – which show you’re more capable and efficient.
For example, saying you ‘increased events sales don’t really tell the employer much. But saying ‘you increased events sales by 30% from the previous year by contacting companies direct’ is a much better way of measuring your capability
Modify your CV to the job
Your CV will not suit every job role.
Meaning that sending the same CV to every application won’t be helping you to stand out from other candidates and you won’t be making an impression on employers.
Instead, change your CV to suit the role you’re applying for – using the job description, company information, and any other details you find from industry research.
Bear in mind: a CV is all about selling yourself successfully, through highlighting your skills and experience. If you list skills that are not appropriate, the employer won’t see how well match you are for the role.
This might make the applying process longer, but it is better to send off ten modified CVs, than a hundred CVs that don’t correctly show your suitability to the role.
Don’t disregard the basics
If you don’t get the basics right your CV won’t stand out
So looking at the above points, it’s essential to write a CV that’s clear, brief, and to-the-point (no longer than two pages). Make sure common grammar mistakes or typos errors aren’t holding you back, carefully read your CV back before clicking the apply button.
Last but not least, make sure your CV layout is easy-to-follow, with your personal details, personal statement, work experience, achievements, education, and hobbies listed in a reasonable order.