​Having a great CV is absolutely critical for finding your dream job

​Having a great CV is absolutely critical for finding your dream job.  In the fast-paced recruitment sector, you must stand out from the crowd.  Recruiters often receive hundreds of CVs for some vacancies, so how do you get to the top of the CV pile?

Here are some top tips to help you create the perfect CV that will open doors and have an immediate impact: 

• Make sure it’s easy to read - Break your CV into clearly headed sections and use bullet points to make it easier for the reader to skim through your experience. Hirers don't have time to read through unnecessary waffle or essays!  I would highly recommend that you engage with a CV writing / design service - you can find many great ones online, and they don't cost the earth.  The investment made is worth it.

• Focus on your relevant skills and experience - Highlight the skills and experience that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. 

• Keep it concise - You should aim to keep your CV to two pages, if possible, so make sure you only include the most important information.

• Tailor it to the job - it is tempting to send a standard 'one size fits all' CV to multiple vacancies without doing some fine-tuning to tweak the CV to better match the job you are applying to.  Use the job description to ensure you’re highlighting the skills and experience the employer is looking for.  This can make all the difference when trying to stand out from the crowd.

• Check for typos - this seems obvious, however, you'd be amazed by the amount of CVs we read that have spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, or both! Make sure you double and triple-check your CV for typos and grammar mistakes. A great way to do this is to get someone else to read it, as they’ll be able to pick up on errors you may have missed.

Creating the perfect CV doesn’t have to be daunting. Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to create a great one!

​#CVwriting #CVtips #JobSearch

Author

Simon Johnston, founder of Marketing Talent, a leading marketing recruitment agency based in London, UK.