8 ways you can make your CV stellar

By Fay Capstick

Your CV is the thing that will first get you the attention of a recruiter or employer, helping you to get the dream job that you really want. So how can you make it better? This week we will look at 8 ways you can make your CV stellar.

Keywords

As we looked at last week, recruiters and employers are highly likely to use automated screen tools during the initial stages to filter through the initial mass of applications for a job. Make sure that you take the time to ensure that the CV that you are submitting contains keyboards that are appropriate to the role being applied for. At Parker Shaw we pride ourselves on giving each CV the attention it deserves, but this might not apply to all employers.

What did you achieve?

Rather than merely listing your previous jobs and the duties that they came with, take the opportunity to mention the impact you had in these roles. Did you increase sales? Improve customer satisfaction? Bring a project in early and on budget? Then say so! This will give a recruiter more idea of how you will perform in a role and why you are the best candidate.

…And quantify those achievements!

Be specific if you can about those achievements, as this will give them more impact. Sales were up? Great, but by how much, can you give a percentage? Same with projects, how early did you bring it in? Quantifying your achievements with numbers if you can, makes your achievements more real and rounded, rather than just sounding good.

List relevant skills - including soft skills

Make sure that your CV contains all the skills that are relevant to this particular role. This includes soft skills as well as technical ones. Showing soft skills will help to give a wider picture of what you are going to be like to work with as a potential employee. Listing all your relevant skills will help a recruiter make a decision about whether you are suitable for the role.

Make a statement

Your CV should include a personal statement. Make sure that this is, as a minimum, grammatically correct. It should capture your recruiter when they read it and make them want to consider you further.

There is no need to make it zany, keep it professional yet friendly and accessible. Show a little of your personality. Most importantly tailor it for the role you are applying for. Say why you are the correct candidate for the role. This is your chance to sell yourself and highlight your skills. Do make sure it is punchy and concise, no waffling and going into huge detail.

Be clear!

Use a clean and clear professional font. Times New Roman is always a safe choice. Your CV needs to be easy to read without any distraction for the recruiter. Make sure your subsections are clearly labelled. Use bold font. Underline section titles. Always save as a word document, and please don’t use too much formatting.

You need to make it as easy as possible for the recruiter to navigate your document to find the information about you that they need. Remember that your CV is the only thing that a recruiter knows about you at this stage, therefore it is hugely important that it reflects you in the most positive and professional way possible.

Tailor your CV

Your CV should be tailored to the specific job that you are applying for. You probably have transferable skills, and these can all be listed, but the point of this CV is to show the recruiter that you are perfect for the position that you are applying for. This means tailoring it. Really highlight the skills and experience you have that are relevant to the specific job.

Show someone!

To make sure that your CV is truly stellar take the time to run it past a friend or family member. Tell them about the job that you are applying for an ask them if it looks appropriate for such a role. And then take the time to carefully consider incorporating any feedback that they give you.

Final thoughts

At Parker Shaw we have been at the forefront of the sector we serve, IT & Digital Recruitment and Consulting, for over 30 years. We can advise you on all your hiring needs. If you are looking for your next job in the IT sector please check our Jobs Board for our current live vacancies at https://parkershaw.co.uk/jobs-....