Tips for making your CV stand out for the right reasons

Posted by Andrew on November 29, 2019

Recruitment Consultants and hiring managers see a lot of CVs every day, so make sure yours stands out for all the right reasons! there are countless online resources and tools at our disposal to help us create high quality CVs and job applications, but it still requires a bit of dedicated time before you end up with the best version. Importantly, online resources are no substitute for the all-important self-editing and checking stage of the final CV.

Have you ever sent off a resume and cover letter, only to find spelling mistakes or typos later? These will definitely leave a lasting impression on the person in charge of hiring – and not in a good way, as they can impact your likelihood of getting called for an interview.

As recruiters, we continue to see it all: unprofessional email addresses, incorrectly addressed cover letters copy-and-pasted applications and file formats that don’t open.

Here are common resume errors to avoid.

Typos

Even for those who are great writers or avid copy-proofers, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors can creep into your resume; nobody is immune. Hiring managers, HR and recruiters will read these as a lack of attention to detail – they can quickly recognise an edited CV from a rough draft. If this is something you struggle with, get a trusted friend or family member to check it over.

It's too long

Our attention spans are limited: recruiters and hiring managers are pressed for time so don’t make them through pages of text to find out whether you’re the right fit for the job – it will likely result in being overlooked. While you could combat this by putting all the best bits at the top, a more appropriate plan is to trim any extraneous information from your resume until you’re left with as lean a document as possible. This might mean cutting irrelevant or older, unrelated roles and choosing succinct words and sentences for maximum impact. The general guide is a 1 or 2-page CV but it will depend on your level of experience.

Using fluffy language

Remember, CVs are about who you are as a potential employee and should be based on fact: where you studied, who you’ve worked for and what you’ve achieved. Interviews are the time for your personality and additional details to shine through – CVs are all about what you’ve done so keep the language tight and practical. That doesn’t mean you come across like a robot but staying on point and getting your skills across in a simple, effective manner is key. And make sure every word and sentence in your resume is justified.

Using an inappropriate email address

Picture this: a hiring manager has your resume in a stack on their desk. They’ve picked you and a handful of others to shortlist. They are about to contact you, and the email address you’ve left is pinkfairy91@hotmail.com. It might make them rethink who they’ve chosen for an interview – and whether you’re professional enough for the role. Another no-no when including an email address is to use your current work address: its indiscreet and would give a hiring manager pause for thought. Instead, use a firstname.lastname@gmail.com-style address

Not considering layout and formatting

Avoid creating resumes that look like an emoji fest. It must be readable and pleasing to the eye – the cleaner and more streamlined, the better. Use bullet points and delineated sections with headings to make it easy to skim read. Be sure to also pick a neutral, easy-to-read font such as Arial, Calibri, Helvetica or Times New Roman.

Structure it like this...

Professional Summary:

             “What” + “Who” you are.

2. Core Competencies and Achievements:

Hard and transferable skills evidenced with quantifiable achievements (where possible).

3. Certifications, Licences and Professional Training/ relevant courses:

Please be specific with what licences you hold and what type of machinery you have operated, if any.

4. Professional Experience:

 Company name, location, dates, job title + detail of responsibilities.

5. Awards/Volunteer Work (if any).

Freshers: your order is 1, 2, 3, 4 and you can substitute Professional Experience with Internships.

No photos either please, or DOB, passport numbers, or other sensitive personal identifiers.

Only name, city, contact number and email.

You have amazing skills and experience, so.... flaunt them!