When you find a job listing you like the look of and send off your CV, you have to sell yourself to the prospective employer.
There stands a chance that they will be inundated with people submitting their CV, so how do you make yours stand out from the rest? These tips might help you get through
to the interview stage.
Basic and Simple
You need to start by providing basic information about yourself, such as age, gender, contact information and address. Keep this and any other future information as simple as possible.
A complicated looking CV will not hold the reader’s attention.
The layout will affect the overall first impression, which is why many people use a CV template from My Perfect CV.
You can choose the design you want and get help by using some of the pre-written
text. This will all make the task of compiling a CV simpler.
Education and Qualifications
You do not need to list every class you attended at school or university, but letting the prospective employer what qualifications you obtained is a good idea. They will need to know if you are qualified for the job on offer.
If you have gained extra qualifications at night school or online, this is often appreciated by employers, as it shows determination to progress in your chosen career.
Experience
There is nothing that can replace experience, and you should include every job you have had and the tasks involved in each one. This can be vital, as you may have learned a skill in a job that you did not attend formal education for.
Things such as having a good working knowledge of some computer programs such as Excel, Pages, or Dropbox can be a distinct advantage.
Showing the skills you have become proficient at could help a great deal if you have no formal qualifications.
Interests
Include just a few short lines about your interests out of work. It does not need to be much, but if you have a shared interest with the person reading the CV, it could mean they would like to meet you and will arrange an interview.
However, the focus she be on your qualifications.
References
Employers know that no one will show a name as a reference if they are likely to say unkind things, but for some companies, it is the policy that references must be followed up. Previous employers are always a good choice, but a character reference can be good too.
Be Different
You can use an interesting font, but make sure it is clear and easily readable. If you have to send a paper CV, print it onto coloured paper.
Imagine someone sitting with a huge pile of them – a different coloured paper will stand out immediately.
You are marketing yourself when you are completing your CV. You may need to adapt it slightly each time you use it depending on what job you are after, as different skills and qualifications will be relevant for each job or company.
