Ever applied for a job online to see at the top “200 people have applied for this job”? 200 people?!!! And that’s just on one job site, most recruiters put their adverts over 4 or more platforms! Your CV can become a needle in a haystack so it’s really important that you make yours stand out to the recruiter. Want to know How to get your CV noticed? Follow these tips now!
Use keywords
This is absolutely essential if you want to be considered for the job role! Look at what the required skills are for the job, if you have these make sure you mention them! Your front page of your CV should have a clear section for Skills, bullet point these in order of relevance to make it easy for the recruiter to see them! You can refer to them in more detail in your ‘employment experience’ section below but make sure they are clear to see at first glance.
Avoid clichés
This is a tough one because you want to tell your future employer that you are ‘hard-working’ and ‘punctual’ and ‘excellent in a team… and on your own… and wherever they want you to be!”. At the end of the day these are all just ‘fluff’ words with no actual evidence to back it up! Try and keep it concise and leave these traits for the interview where you can explain why you’re such a great employee!
Shout about your achievements
While I don’t think you should sell yourself with meaningless phrases you ABSOLUTELY should brag about your achievements in your employment and education history! You need to give the recruiter a taste of why your so great – whether it’s winning awards for your work with your current employer, getting a 1st class degree at University or even learning a second language! You need to make your needle stand out from the others in that haystack, so brag away!
Back it up
You need to back up these brags otherwise they can be as pointless as saying you’re a ‘hard-working, punctual team-worker’! If you can include links to websites / an online portfolio so they can have a look at the work you have produced / projects you have worked on. Don’t have this in place? If you have said you have skills (e.g. C# / JavaScript) talk about how you have put these to use in your employment / education history.
The photo question…
Now this is a tricky one as a lot of recruiters are torn between whether you should or shouldn’t include a photo. I personally don’t think it is relevant but why not include a web link to your professional LinkedIn profile / social media sites (as long as they are recruiter friendly!). This can be a great way to connect with the relevant people for social recruiting!
No fibbing
Nothing will trip you up in the job hunt more than lying on your CV so make sure your dates, job titles and responsibilities are correct. It is inevitable that the recruiter / hiring manager will ask you to talk through your CV so there’s no point lying! Worried about a gap in employment? Enter the dates you weren’t and give a brief explanation as to why (e.g. travelling etc.). It will save questions down the line!
Make it simple
Make sure you put your CV into a clear format with a professional font (please no comic sans… just no). Try and keep it concise to 2 pages if possible – you don’t want important information at the end if the recruiter stops reading after page 2! A simple guide to order could be: Name and contact details, bullet points of your key skills, employment history with responsibilities and achievements (newest role first), education history (newest qualification first), other qualifications, personal profile / hobbies. Again every opinion is different but I would say it is vital to list your contact details and skills at the very top.
So there you have it, 7 simple tips on How to get your CV noticed. Hopefully that should help get your CV out of the haystack and into the recruiter’s hands!
Sophie Heaton (Digital Campaign Manager)
