Maximise your earnings and career with these CV tips
Last Modified 16th of February 2021
The first step when applying for a job is to create a killer CV. Many people, especially those that have applied for countless jobs, fail to provide their CV polishing efforts with the time required to win over a potential new employer.
However, it is essential to keep in mind that a CV is a personal marketing document that will determine whether or not an individual is promoted during the recruitment process. Adopting these five CV polishing tips can aid a job seeker in moving themselves a step closer to the job that they so desperately desire.
1. Changing perspective
When updating their CV, a job hunter should ensure that they are in the right frame of mind. CV honing should not be seen as a chore. Instead, it should be viewed as an opportunity for an individual to sell themselves.
2. Performing a personal audit
A CV should list a job seeker’s assets in terms of their skills, experience, personal attributes and knowledge. When reviewing a personal audit, it is essential for an individual to ensure that they have detailed their career as a whole and not just their current job. They should have considered areas outside of their work that they have excelled in and should seek to have fully recognised all of their achievements.
3. Summarising the CV
All CVs should contain a summary profile which is a short yet snappy pitch designed to attract the attention of an employer. The summary profile should be the first section on an individual’s CV and should be written to be as powerfully as possible. The summary should ideally be written once an individual has comprised the main body of their CV. The summary should include the number of years’ experience an individual has obtained and specific knowledge and skills that have been acquired.
4. Focusing on achievements
Employers will want to know about a job seeker’s achievements and results. If these have been listed on a CV in great detail, they should be refined so that they are in bullet point form. A long list of achievements should be replaced with two to three key specific achievements, such as “increased mortgage sales by 25%” or “increased client satisfaction score from 95% to 99%”.
5. Acquiring feedback
Once an individual has refined their CV, they should ask trusted friends and relatives to review their finished document. Ideally, they should enlist the opinion of those who already work in the sector you wish to apply. If you are searching for a public sector housing job for example, someone who works for a housing association would be ideal. It is essential for all feedback to be taken into consideration. Any further changes made should enhance the document yet retain the key facts.
For job hunters, the key to making their CV stand out is to ensure that it is tailored to the position that they are applying for. Different job roles will need different CVs to match the strengths and experience required to fulfil each of these jobs.
