Your CV is your ambassador in the competitive world of recruitment. When you apply for a job, it has to stand out. It’s not enough to just list your skills on a page; your CV must be legible, punchy and obviously suited for the position. If you’re not getting any interviews, the problem may lie with your CV, not your skill set. Here are a few steps that you can take to make sure that your résumé makes it to the top of the pile.
Cut to the chase
Your prospective employer is busy. Your CV may be the hundredth they’ve read that day. If your accomplishments don’t stand out, they may be in no mood to play detective, meaning that your CV might end up buried in the bin along with your best qualities. The best way to avoid this is to make sure that you get straight to the point.
Use bullet points
Whenever possible, list your accomplishments as easy-to-read bullet points. Don’t be afraid to use sentence fragments as long as they list complete thoughts. Display the bullet points in order of importance and relevance to the job for which you are applying. Organise individual bullet points from general skills to specific details. That way, recruiters get the general idea first and can read more if they need to.
Keep it short
If possible, keep your CV to one page, but don’t cram in all the information to do so. If you have extensive experience, then more than one page may be necessary. A résumé that looks like it’s bursting at the seams can be off-putting and may end up at the bottom of the pile.
Use action verbs
Begin each bullet point with an action verb whenever possible. Avoid vague, passive descriptive phrases like “duties/responsibilities included” or “responsible for”. Switch them for strong concrete verbs like “coordinated”, “facilitated”, “taught”, “created”, “managed” and “promoted”. These verbs focus on your accomplishments and make you look proactive.
Stay focused
If you have a lot of experience, there’s no need to list every single accomplishment; focus on those that highlight the skills required for the position. If the job advertisement asks for a candidate with leadership, time management and computer expertise, describe your achievements that best reflect these qualities. Make sure each requested skill is highlighted at least once in your CV and don’t waste time including skills that do not pertain to the job.
Spelling
Spelling may seem unimportant, especially if it it’s not an integral part of the role you’re after, but typos, errors in spelling and grammar and other mistakes will not impress. Don’t just rely on your word processing programme to pick up spelling mistakes for you; it won’t catch errors like the right word in the wrong place, meaningless sentence fragments, misplaced commas and other similar mistakes. Instead, print your CV and read it out loud – hearing the words will catch any mistakes or confusing phrases; then have a friend read it over for you.
Look at other people’s CVs
Before you start making any changes, look at sample CVs at websites such as reed.co.uk/career-advice/blog/2012/august/cv-templates-and-tips. A good way to create a powerful CV that results in an interview is to read a few that inspire you. Great CVs stand out and you can spot strengths and weaknesses in other résumés that you may not be able to catch in your own.
Reproduced by kind permission of Margaret Francis, a job counsellor who writes a blog on career advice at semissourian.com/blogs/francis
