Tips for successful CV

Every time you apply for a job, usually you will be asked for your CV. Remember that CV is your logo, and needs to represent you well when applying for your dream job.

Your CV should be well laid out, easy to read and to the point. It should be a maximum of 2 pages and its content should not be repetitive. It should be designed to stand out from the CVs of other applicants and it must contain information that will make you look attractive to a recruiter.

Write a impressive high quality Curriculum Vitae that gets you noticed.

Focus on matching your knowledge and work experience to the recruiter’s requirements.

Put a positive slant on things, but do not lie or exaggerate.

Show enthusiasm for the company and the job.

Design a CV that fits into 2 pages and is concise, uncluttered, and relevant and attention grabbing.

How to write a CV

Research and studies of job applications and of the entire recruitment process have shown that your curriculum vitae only has about 55 seconds to make an impact on a hiring manger. Within this short period of time it is either rejected or put into a pile of candidate applications to be looked at later on.

For this reason alone you should write and target your CV at the vacancy you are applying for. By focusing your CV on a specific job role, you stand a much better chance of impressing the recruiter and getting noticed. There is no need to change the entire layout, fonts or style. Just focus on altering the text and content by inserting keywords relevant to the target job and mentioning your related abilities and skills.

Re-write your CV by highlighting skills and experiences that are relevant to those being asked for in the job advert. Remember that this may be time consuming but by doing this you will stand out from the vast majority of other applicants who send the same CV in to every job they apply for.

The aims of your CV

Your CVs first immediate objective is to encourage the recruiter to continue reading it. Once they do this it's second aim is to convince the recruiter that you (the applicant) have the requirements that they are looking for. It's third objective is to persuade them to invite you to a interview.

How to target and optimize your resume

The first point to remember is that you should treat your curriculum vitae as a marketing document and to lay it out in an organized way so that it’s easy for an employer to quickly find the information that they are looking for in an employee.

Investigate the company

Read up and research the company that is advertising the vacancy. What are the products or services that they sell, what is the state of the industry that they are in? Is it booming or going through a recession.Check their website or online for any press releases, research the local newspapers, radio or TV stations to see if they have been in the news recently.

Whatever you discover you should try to mention it very briefly in your personal profile, career summary or covering letter and explain how you feel it can affect your ability to do the job.

The advantage of doing all of this is that you are showing a prospective employer that you are aware of what is going on in their industry and marketplace. This is sure to impress them for two reasons. Firstly not many other candidates will have done it and secondly it shows you have your finger on the pulse and are aware of what is going on around you.

Choosing a career, Read the job advert

Try to get into the mind of the employer and find out exactly what they are looking for in a applicant. Do this by carefully reading the job description and making detailed notes on the job specifications and also what qualities, skills, qualifications and experience the employer has asked for in the job advert. Write down the key phrases and terminology that are used and then mirror these by mentioning them in your CV. Click here reading job adverts for more on this topic.

Focus and be concise

Be as precise as you can in highlighting that you have exactly what the employer is asking for. Try to ensure that every section of your CV from the personal summary, career history, areas of expertise right down to your academic qualifications is relevant to the job you are applying for.

The advantages of directing your CV at a specific job

You have a much better chance of standing out from other competitors for the simple reason that most job seekers will send the same CV to every job they apply for.

Pollute your CV with unnecessary facts and make it difficult for the reader to find useful information about you. This would make it harder for them to read and they may just give up half way through it and bin your applications there and then.

Remember that hiring managers are human too, they may have had a long day and could be feeling tired and irritable. If it’s the middle of the afternoon and they have a heavy work load ahead of them the last thing they will want to do is to try to read a disorganized resume that is crammed full of irrelevant facts. They will simply move on to the next one and focus on those that are well laid out and easy to read.

By having your CV focused you make it much easier for a recruiter to read and find the skill sets that you have and that they are looking for. This makes their job a lot easier and their day just a little bit less stressful, both factors that they will appreciate.

You can impress prospective employers who will appreciate the fact that you have taken the time and effort to write something especially for them. They will acknowledge that you have spent time researching their company and its business and that you have spent a few hours writing and putting together a curriculum vitae that is for their eyes only and no one else’s.

Finally when writing your CV remember that it’s very rare that an employer is going to be looking for a ‘jack of all trades’. It is much more likely that they will be looking for someone with specific traits, abilities and experience, your CV is an opportunity to show them that you have the exact qualities that they are looking for.

Article found on: LinkedIn