Your CV is often the first impression a potential employer will have of you. With competition for jobs being fierce, it’s important your CV stands out for the right reasons. This article provides tips on how to make your CV appealing, concise and tailored to each job application.
What to Include in Your Personal Details
Start your CV with your full name, email address and phone number prominently displayed. You can also include links to your LinkedIn profile and online portfolio if relevant. Avoid adding unnecessary personal information like your marital status or religion, as this is not pertinent.
There is debate about whether to include a photo on your CV. While a photo adds personality, it could potentially allow unconscious bias related to ethnicity, gender or age to impact an employer’s perception. Unless it is expressly requested or customary for your particular industry, it may be advisable to exclude a photo. Focus instead on highlighting your capabilities.
Write a Compelling Profile Summary
Your CV profile section should comprise 4-6 concise, impactful sentences summarising your most relevant skills, accomplishments and motivations aligned to the role. Avoid generic self-praise that could apply to any candidate. Provide evidence of achievements. State your career aspirations and how they connect with the employer’s needs. Hiring managers want to understand why you are passionate about this opportunity. Show them in your profile.
List Targeted Skills and Standout Achievements
Include a bullet point list of technical abilities, specialist expertise, transferable competencies and soft skills the employer is specifically looking for. Draw out relevant keywords and required experiences from the job description to match your skills to their criteria.
Give tangible examples of how you have previously applied your skills to deliver impressive results rather than merely listing competencies. For example:
“Drove a successful social media strategy, increasing followers by 20,000 and engagement rates by 15% over a 12-month period.”
This level of detail is far more compelling than simply: “Managed company social media accounts.”
Be Selective with Work History Details
Recruiters spend an average of only 30 seconds reviewing any one CV in the initial screening process. Save them time by only including details of your last 5 or 6 most relevant positions, formatted in reverse chronological order. For each role, concisely summarise your core responsibilities, then emphasise transferable skills and measurable achievements.
As a rule of thumb, work experience older than 10 years is unlikely to influence hiring decisions unless it is of major significance to the advertised position. Exercise judgment on what experience merits valuable CV real estate.
Handle Employment Gaps with Honesty and Positivity
If you have gaps within your work history, it’s advisable to acknowledge these upfront by providing a brief, honest overview before drawing the focus back to your capabilities. Explain how you have proactively updated your skills and knowledge during career breaks to evidence your motivation. Maintain a positive tone and align past achievements with the requirements of the role you are applying for.
Perfect CV Length and Formatting
Stick to a maximum of one or two pages for your CV. Adobe Express offers over 1000 templates with built-in CV formatting best practices to keep your content neatly organised. Use concise phrasing, consistent verb tenses and a professional font like Arial 11pt. Subheadings in slightly larger or bold text help break up dense text.
Prioritise Standout Achievements
Hiring managers are most interested in the tangible value you delivered in previous positions. Quantify achievements and impact with facts and data points over generalised statements. For example:
“Increased sales conversion rates by 25% over a 2-year period through optimising client onboarding processes” clearly demonstrates the ability to drive growth.
Proofread Every Last Detail
Run automated spell and grammar checks and print your CV to mark errors. Read every word out loud, enlisting a second pair of eyes to review. Check for inconsistencies in tense, repetition of statements and claims not supported by evidence in your achievements. This level of precision makes a vital impression.
Should I Send a Targeted Cover Letter?
Your CV summarises qualifications, whilst a cover letter expands on motivations and directly aligns your capabilities with the needs of the specific role at a distinct company. Take time to personalise your application by addressing the letter to the relevant hiring manager or HR specialist. Convey why you are compelled by this opportunity with their unique organisation. Submitting both documents makes your application stand out.
First impressions set the tone for candidate assessments, so perfecting your CV is a crucial investment. Demonstrating relevant, quantified achievements and skillsets tailored closely to the role requirements convinces employers to prioritise you. Set the stage for success with a compelling, professional CV.