Ten tips to a great CV!
Our top ten tips to make your CV fresh!
Here at Quinton Davies we know how difficult it is writing your CV. You’re staring at a blank page wondering how in the world you can market yourself in the correct way. These are ten of our top tips to help you out!
- Keep It real
Stick to what you've done and avoid over explanation. When looking at a CV, simply put, we focus on your role, what you were responsible for and what you delivered.
- Prove it
Back up any statements that you make with facts, figures and dates.
Saying "Cost savings delivered" isn't as powerful as "£100k cost savings delivered". Or even better, "5% cost savings achieved" this gives context. Also, make sure you’re giving dates to achievements; you may have certain system skills but when did you last use them?
- Think about your target audience
Think about where your CV is going and who is going to be seeing it. For job boards and agencies, you'll want to keep it broad, not focussed on one role. However, if you’re applying for a specific role, it's well worth tailoring your CV to their brand specifics or adding a cover note. Include evidence as to why you’d be great for their company.
- Keep it simple
A lot agencies will reformat your cv to their style so if applying to an agency keep the format simple and clean in a word document avoiding tables and graphics.
- Mind the gap
Gaps raise questions. Ensure that your timeline is full and correct. For work periods that are empty, detail what you were doing and why – don’t try to jazz up what you were doing, keep it simple.
- Keep it fresh
Frequently review your CV and update as necessary. Buzz words and in demand skills change, so look back over your CV and ensure its current. Also don’t forget to update any achievements along the way.
- Check the basics
Check for basic spelling and grammatical errors. This is an easy win! A CV that doesn’t have the basics right is definitely not going to the top of the pile!
- Keep it punchy!
Keep your CV concise and punchy!
Recruiters get a lot of applicants and time is precious. Glance at the first page - this should strike you with a clear message of what you can do and deliver. Within a couple of seconds your message should be clear, encouraging the reviewer to read on.
- Make it easy
Make it easy for people to read. Big blocks of text are cumbersome and unlikely to be read. Instead, use bullet points and brief sentences. Remember this is stage one and an initial look at who you are. Save the minute detail for calls and interviews.
- Get help
Have other people proof read your CV. Check they get the message. What's their first impression? What jumps out at them in the first couple of seconds! You want anyone reading it to be drawn in immediately.
Please get in touch to discuss how we can support your next career move.