Your CV needs to make an impact quickly, especially in the aftermath of coronavirus when every job is attracting a far higher volume of applicants than previously.  

So how to you make yours stand out? Here are our top 5 tips for preparing a CV that will get you noticed.

Keep it simple

People often ask us if they should embed a photo or some infographics in their CV. Our advice is to leave out the images and keep it simple. Hiring managers want to see key information quickly and that means anything that will let them know you can do the job really well.

Use a concise structure

When formatting your CV, do it in a way that presents the most critical information first. Keep everything short and to the point. Use a simple font like Times New Roman or Calibri and break up your roles and achievements with bullet points. Your CV should ideally be kept to within 2 pages of A4.

Tailor it to the job

Every job you apply for will demand a slightly different skill set and the recruitment priorities will vary, even if they are for similar jobs and industries. Study the job spec and advert to understand exactly what they’re looking for and tailor your CV to suit. Use similar keywords to the ones they have used in their advertising and person specification to draw their attention quickly.

Sell your successes

Recruiters will be looking for facts and figures that quantify your value as a candidate so try to include examples of how much you achieved in terms of generating revenue or achieving goals. Think beyond your roles to include some of the key moments in your career during each position to demonstrate your successes and achievements.

Check and proof it

Read through everything thoroughly for spelling and grammatical errors and if possible ask someone else to cast their eye over it too. It’s also worth checking that you’ve included the following key information:

·      Personal details – name, address, phone number and email

·      Employment history with most recent achievements first

·      Relevant qualifications and certificates

 For more advice and support, read our CV tips and download our CV template