Does your CV pass this 6-second test?
Did you know that most recruiters will decide whether or not to read your CV within 6 seconds? It’s pretty incredible when you think about the amount of time we invest in polishing our CVs and for a decision to be made that quickly.
With such an array of different styles, formats and resumes it can be hard to know where to begin when updating your CV or when you’re taking the first steps in finding employment.
This blog is going to give you 3 clear tips to help you make sure that your CV hits that ‘Yes’ pile, helping you to secure the job you want!
Format
The format is the very first impression you’ll make to prospective employers and you’ll be surprised about how much it says about you. The format of a CV will vary depending on the industry you’re in and also the level you are at in your career. The most important thing is ensuring that the format you choose presents your skills and experience in a memorable, organised and concise way. It’s good to remember that some recruiters will have 100s of CVs for the one role, so standing out for the right reasons is key. Using headings and bullet points is a great way of breaking up your CV is sections and providing a succinct overview.
Another clever way to create a format which stands out is to have an infographic CV, these a typically used in creative industries and offer a different way to highlight your experience and also your unique style which can add further depth to your application.
Keywords
When employers are searching for their ideal candidate they are very certain about the skills they are looking for, so you need to know your lingo! It’s important to make sure that the content of your CV is easy to read and that it contains the keywords that employers are looking for. Not sure what you should writing? Think about the skills that are required for the job and how you meet these and back them up with experience? One way to do this is to create a checklist for what the job requires and examples of similar tasks you’ve completed. It may sound simple, but if you can give relevant examples of how you’ve dealt with similar tasks. Once you’ve done that, start to add the skills into a format which ties all the job requirements together. However, be careful to not just add words for
Length
You may think that when it comes to putting your skills and experience on paper that the ‘more is more’ approach is the way to go, but you could be losing out due to the length of your CV. As a standard format, most people will stick to two sides of an A4 page which will give you enough room to include a personal statement, education, experience, awards/memberships and a section about your hobbies and interests. In some cases, it may be appropriate to have a further page of information, for example, any individual who has been involved in published research or who have completed a PhD. Research your sector and if you believe the information is relevant and adds to your CV then if it’s an industry standard you can include this.
Finally, the key thing to remember when creating your CV is that it needs to be a snapshot of you, where you are in your career and focusing on where you want to be. Always make sure you check your CV for any mistakes, use spell check or the Grammarly app which allows you to check spelling, grammar and sentence structure.
Most importantly make sure that get someone else to read your CV for any mistakes and always attach a personalised cover letter to add personality to your application and expand upon your experience. For more helpful blogs and the latest roles head over to the NIjobfinder.co.uk Facebook page and follow us to ensure you don’t miss out on your perfect job.