Putting together a stand-out CV is, pretty much, the first thing on your to do list when you think about taking the next step in your career isn’t it?
When applying for a role in any sector, a compelling CV will enable you to stand out above the other candidates. It will tell your story before you get the chance to do so in person. So, it’s worth spending time on your CV to ensure it really portrays you, and summarises your skills and strong points accurately, for all to see!
So here at Liberty Recruitment Group, we thought we should gather some expert tips from our team of ‘CV Connoisseurs’, to help you shape a stand-out CV and land yourself an interview. (you can also find our very own Liberty Recruitment group CV Template on the Hints & Tips Page of our website).
Tailoring your CV
Firstly, your CV should be tailored to every role you apply for. If you are applying for multiple roles – let’s face it, you WILL be applying for multiple roles – they will vary, even if only in certain areas. So you may be able to use the same CV and change only very little bits, but it’s important to review it each time before you hit the send button.
Your CV really should include the following:
- Your name, address and contact details
- A profile or introduction
- Your skills and achievement (highlights only)
- Your qualifications to date
- Employment History
- Any hobbies and interests you may enjoy.
Profile
While having a profile on your CV isn’t absolutely essential, they are a great way of offering a quick impression of your skills and suitability for a role. We all think this is particularly ideal for recruiters or potential employers alike, especially if they are evaluating a high number of candidates (we ALL read them!)
Yet writing a short profile can be tricky as it’s tough to write kind things about ourselves, isn’t it? And then when you know it has to be concise too? Forget it! But it’s not an impossible task, and our declaration should simply be a brief summary of you as a professional, your CV itself and what you can uniquely offer an employer. It should also be distinctive and an honest portrayal of you. And remember – Keep it concise! (Three brief sections max!).
The foremost thing to remember is to look closely at the job description and make sure you cover all the themes in your CV.
Skills and achievements
This is the bit we ALL find challenging but that we MUST master! It’s a chance to scream from the rooftops (well, state clearly for all to see) about your workplace achievements and the highlights you are most proud of. You may have been top of the class when you passed your professional qualifications; you may have been seconded to manage a special project due to your uniquely suitable qualities; you may have raised income steams; reduced production costs; improved safety levels…the list (quite literally) can go on and on! Remember to include facts and figures and what your success led to for your employer at the time.
This is also the place to emphasise your aptitude with aspects such as your particular IT skills, your ability to analyse data, your commercial awareness and ability to communicate at all levels. Why not include here your aptitude for the systems your potential employer may use for example? Keep it succinct, but don’t miss another opportunity to shine (bullet points will often suffice here).
References
Including details about referees and references on your CV isn’t absolutely essential, but it’s useful to clarify that references are available on request.
Final points to remember
We all know that a demonstration of skills and suitability for a role is crucial, but try to keep your CV a jargon-free and acronym-free zone where you can. A stand-out CV is a brief CV. So make a concerted effort to simplify it without losing its substance.
Then, all there is left is to proof-read it, ask a friend to proof-read it, and then check it once again, just for luck! When you have pored over a document as long as you have this one (and you WILL almost endlessly pore over it) it never hurts to let fresh eyes check your spelling and grammar just one more time!
And remember, the Liberty Recruitment Team are only a phone call away if you need any further advice about your CV…after all, it’s what we love to do!
