Get your CV noticed: showcase your skills and stand out from the crowd

Most people will only ever think about their curriculum vitae (CV) when they are looking for a job.

It’s obviously pretty important in those circumstances, but it needs to live and breathe between roles to ensure it’s always up-to-date and reflects the best possible version of you at all times.

Why a well written CV is important

When applying for a job, your CV is the first chance you have to make a good impression. It’s the thing that has to set you apart in the minds of the recruiter, based purely on the words on the page they have in front of them.

You are the best candidate for any job that you want. We are sure you believe that; if you don’t, you should start thinking that way. As the best person, your CV needs to reflect that.

Your skills, your personality, your experience and everything you can bring to the table has to be written down in a way that transmits this eloquently to those reading it.

What makes a good CV?

Before you begin to craft your perfect CV, the first thing you’ll need to do is think about the format. It needs to stand out from the rest, even before it’s been read by anyone, so how it’s laid out needs to be considered.

There are plenty of CV templates online that you can download, often for free, which you can then adapt to suit your needs. Think about what are the standout features of your CV that you want to catch the eye. Pick a few of those and make sure they are going to attract your prospective employer.

Your CV should also change for each job you apply for. We are not talking about a wholesale rewrite every time, but different jobs will need different skills and experience.

Personal details

Naturally, everyone is different so every CV is going to be different too, but there are some aspects of any resumé that will need to be included. Any good CV will need to include some personal details about you. Make sure your email address isn’t the one you’ve had since you were a teenager – super_hot_cool_dude @hotmail isn’t going to look great.

Skills and experience

You will naturally need to include your qualifications, job history and expertise. Again, this section should be adaptive.

Start with your most recent role and work backwards in time, detailing your skills, experience and responsibilities. Employers are interested in your latest accomplishments.

Personal summary

It’s an option for many, but you should consider adding a personal summary; think of it as a brief profile of you. It’s a great way of getting across your personality as an alternative from the dry formality of listing qualifications and experiences. When it all comes down to it, YOU are going to be the reason why you get the job, not your CV.

It’s merely a means to an end.