Craft a compelling CV that stands out to employers. Follow our comprehensive guide to showcase your skills and experience effectively.
In today's competitive job market, it's more important than ever that your CV speaks directly to the hiring manager. It needs to make an excellent first impression and in doing so, whet the appetite of a prospective employer enough to want to meet you.
By following this step-by-step guide, you will create a CV that showcases your achievements, skills and career intentions, encouraging more interviews to help you secure the right job with the right employer.
This guide will cover:
Your CV is one of the most critical marketing documents you will ever write and with most employers taking just 6-10 seconds to review your CV initially, it's essential that the content, structure and layout quickly grabs the attention of the hiring manager.
It may have been a while since you last updated your CV, especially if looking for a new job hasn't been a priority until now. Don't worry. You're not alone. However, your CV will likely need a complete makeover as employer's expectations have changed drastically over the last few years.
With the world of work rapidly evolving due to advances in technology and automation, there's more to getting hired now than just qualifications and previous experience.
A CV needs to represent who you are, what you stand for, and what you want professionally, this calls for you to look inward and to ask yourself some questions. While this can feel like a daunting prospect, it is a vitally important exercise to complete to avoid applying for entirely the wrong roles which will undoubtedly affect your confidence and your self esteem.
One of the most common mistakes people make is to launch themselves straight onto the Internet and start applying for jobs without really knowing which position they seek.
So, to ensure that you have a targeted approach to your job search, it's essential to understand what's important to you.
Spend some time answering the following questions and keep writing until you have responded to them all.
Don't be afraid to ask someone you know who will help you with their opinion too.
Think about what your previous employer said to you in your last appraisal and feedback that you have received from colleagues, customers or suppliers. Putting yourself in the shoes of others will help you considerably with this exercise.
Also, don't just think about what you do at work. Think about the things you do outside of work too. So often, people miss transferable skills and strengths which we develop from hobbies and interests.
Once you have completed this exercise, you should have more clarity on your:
Preparing well will help you to exclude information that is unnecessary on your CV and help you to speak more simply to your target employer, answering their most vital question, "why should I hire you?"
A CV should be focused, which often means two pages in length. In some cases, a three-page CV is appropriate for more senior-level executives who have more content to add.
Including experience from over 15 years ago is often outdated, unless your experience is relevant to the role you are applying for or related to the company you are approaching.
A CV is a summary document; therefore, it should not tell the reader everything about your career. Job seekers often make this mistake.
CV's that look like a manuscript can be incredibly off-putting, and there will be a high likelihood that it won't receive much viewing time.
Many employers now require you to submit your CV through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
A CV should be focused, which often means two pages in length. In some cases, a three-page CV is appropriate for more senior-level executives who have more content to add.
Including experience from over 15 years ago is often outdated, unless your experience is relevant to the role you are applying for or related to the company you are approaching.
A CV is a summary document; therefore, it should not tell the reader everything about your career. Job seekers often make this mistake.
CV's that look like a manuscript can be incredibly off-putting, and there will be a high likelihood that it won't receive much viewing time.
Many employers now require you to submit your CV through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
So, create a second version of your CV, which includes relevant keywords so that it responds well to online job application systems.
This way, your CV has more of a chance of getting through the automated sifting process into the hands of the hiring manager or recruitment or talent acquisition team.
How you structure your CV to draw the reader to your significant achievements first is critical. Order your career history in reverse chronological order demonstrating your employment background (job titles, companies, dates, critical areas of duties and achievements)—most recent to past.
It may seem like an unnecessary comment to make, but so many CV's highlight their earlier career history first. If a hiring manager is only taking 6-10 seconds to review a CV, they will miss your most vital relevant and recent
experience.
Also, avoid including a picture on your CV. It can make your CV look outdated. Only add a photo if it is essential legally.
Everyone has barriers to being hired. Whether that's:
If you have 'gaps in employment', show them on your CV. A hiring manager will spot them anyway. Think about what you learned during that time and find a way of showcasing your capabilities.
If you had 'a job that was a mistake', and many people do, don't miss it out (unless it was very brief). Instead show humility and describe why it wasn't right for you and what you learned from the experience.
Never bad- mouth a past employer though. If you have 'a jumpy career history', there are often good reasons why people move on or have undertaken temporary work for an extended time. Consider what new skills you learned.
If you have had 'a very long stint with one employer', show how your career has evolved. Perhaps you had different roles (show each role as you would if you had moved from one
employer to another). Demonstrate how you have adapted to change and highlight this in your achievements.
We know that we need to grab the attention of the Hiring Manager quickly, so the first page of your CV is vital.
If we look at the headline or as many people, refer to it, a Personal Profile, this section often contains too much unnecessary information and is usually littered with buzzwords and unsearchable clichés.
By repositioning the first section to a 'Career Objective,' you will align yourself to the hirer's requirements.
The next section should be 'Key Career Achievements'. In this section it is vitally important to be as specific as you can. Demonstrating how you have excelled during your career which in turn, shows the value you can bring to a prospective employer. Use numbers and data where possible to prove your achievements.
Following this, there should be a section for your 'Key Competencies'. Tailoring them to the role that you are applying for will be essential.
So ensure you look at the advert for the role you are applying for and mirror the language that’s used in your CV to be more attention grabbing and relevant. This will also help you with getting past the automated sifting processes with Applicant Tracking Systems referred to earlier.
Next, create a summary grid showing your 'Career History' to date so that a prospective employer can review your career history quickly.
If you have recently attended University or College or completed qualifications or training courses which are relevant to the role you are applying for, you may wish to show these on your first page.
However, if you attended an education establishment a while ago and it is less relevant to the role you are applying for, it may be better placed on the second page in a section just before your interests.
You don’t need to go into war and peace, just show the ‘relevant’ skills and capabilities that you have and where you will add value through evidencing your achievements.
Your interview is the time when you can elaborate and go into more detail. Don’t forget to add your Interests at the end of your CV. It’s amazing how many hidden transferable skills are missed from extracurricular activities.
In addition to adjusting keywords, you will also need to address any key points the company is looking for and potentially shift the order of importance of achievements and skills within your CV.
Most importantly, your CV should represent your experience in such a way that it supports your career goals. For example, if you are looking to remain in a customer service position your CV will ‘paint the picture’ of a well qualified customer service executive, which is exactly who you are.
Conversely, if your goal is to transition into a management role, your CV will describe how you may have trained and mentored others, taken on additional responsibilities, covered management in periods of absence, etc.
In addition to adjusting keywords, you will also need to address any key points the company is looking for and potentially shift the order of importance of achievements and skills within your CV.
Most importantly, your CV should represent your experience in such a way that it supports your career goals. For example, if you are looking to remain in a customer service position your CV will ‘paint the picture’ of a well qualified customer service executive, which is exactly who you are.
Conversely, if your goal is to transition into a management role, your CV will describe how you may have trained and mentored others, taken on additional responsibilities, covered management in periods of absence, etc.
