5 Essential CV Tips

When you’re applying for jobs, there’s only a short window in which to impress a recruiter. Therefore, it’s important that you keep your CV relevant, up to date and to the point.

That said, many people struggle to write a concise CV, especially if you have a wealth of experience and skills that you want to shout about. Read on for our advice on how to keep your CV relevant with recruiters to ensure you don’t miss the mark.

TAILOR IT TO EVERY ROLE

Firing out a generic CV isn’t going to get you anywhere. In order to make it relevant, you need to tailor it to every role you apply to. Start by running through the job description and highlighting the key skills and experience required for the role.

Then, ensure that your CV demonstrates that you are able to tick every single box. Pay particular attention to your personal profile at the top of your CV as this is what will catch the recruiter’s attention to begin with.

MATCH YOUR SKILLS TO THE JOB

Now, you can start to match your skills to the role you’re applying to. For example, if the recruiter is looking for someone with great communication skills and a proven track-record in improving customer satisfaction, you’ll need to give an example of a time where you’ve done this.

Picking out the main skills and keywords and peppering these throughout your CV is a good tactic for keeping your CV relevant. Just be careful of overdoing it. You don’t want it to look like you’re twisting the truth.

KEEP IT TO TWO PAGES

As recruiters scan through hundreds of CVs every day, it’s best to keep yours no longer than two pages. Of course, this will vary on a case-by-case basis, especially for the more seasoned professionals.

However, anything longer than this and you may start to bore your reader. If in doubt, play around with your margins and font size to fit as much content in as possible. Just be wary that it still needs to be readable!

DON’T WAFFLE

Similar to the above, avoid waffling on your CV, as this is a sure-fire way to lose a recruiter’s interest. Make it relevant by keeping your sentences concise and to the point. For example, pick out one key highlight from each job you’ve worked in, rather than listing out your daily to-do list.

Alongside this, tighten up your wording in places: you don’t need to list out every single grade that you got in your GCSEs – a simple ‘10 GCSEs grades A*-C’ will suffice.

MODERNISE YOUR FORMAT

Once you’re happy with the content in your CV, it could be time to play around with your layout and format. Some industries welcome creative layouts, while others prefer candidates to keep it professional.

Try using easy to read, but modern, fonts such as Arial or Calibri. These can instantly make your CV look much more presentable, modern and relevant.

MAKE YOUR CV RELEVANT

These are just some ways to keep your CV relevant with recruiters. Remember, you only have a short amount of time to impress a potential employer and your CV should speak volumes about who you are, what you’ve achieved and what your potential is going forward.

Spend time tweaking, tailoring and proofreading your CV to ensure that it’s as effective as possible. Putting in the time and effort now will certainly pay off later and you’ll be able to secure an amazing new job, in no time.