How to Make Your CV Stand out from the Crowd
Posted on Monday, March 2, 2020 by The CV Wizard — No comments
Whether you’re rifling through permanent office support jobs or trying to bag the best temporary jobs in London, your CV is your calling card. But as many London recruitment agencies will testify, it’s not unusual for London employers to sift through dozens, if not hundreds, of CVs for each job. What’s more, the average time spent reading a CV is just 6.25 seconds! You’ve got to make that first great impression fast, so your CV needs to stand out from the crowd. But how do you do that?
- Tailor it every time
You’ve spent hours perfecting and polishing your CV. Do you really want to have to change it up for each position you apply for? You don’t need to write a fresh CV for every position, but think about a few key things you can tailor. Take a look at the required and desired criteria for a job (good London recruitment agencies will provide these) and highlight those skills and attributes on your CV.
- Make it snappy
Back to those 6.25 seconds: we can guarantee that a recruiter faced with a densely-packed, four-page CV in size ten font won’t even start reading it. Instead, use short and punchy sentences that cram in the facts. Use no more than two A4 pages, and sum everything up with bullet points.
Don’t forget that you can expand a little more on your suitability for the role in a cover letter and an interview. The goal of a CV is simply to get the recruiter hooked. You can reel them in later. The reality is that less is more. If you dedicate your time to fewer higher-quality applications, you’re more likely to secure the job you’re after.
- Mind the gap
If you’ve got a gap in your career history, or something else that raises a question, don’t skip over it. In the absence of an explanation, the recruiter will make an assumption. Fill the gap with a very brief reason. If you can show that you used this time to develop additional skills then make sure you pop them in; many skills are transferable.
- Make it accurate
Believe it or not, we receive CVs every day for office support jobs in London that are rife with spelling mistakes or glaring typos. Given that most of the roles we recruit for require accuracy and attention to detail, this isn’t a good start. Check your CV then check, check, and check again. Ask other people you trust to take a look too.
- Honesty is the best policy
Don’t take the recruiter for a fool. If you lie on your CV you will be discovered—if not now, then eventually. It’ll damage your reputation and your career. Be honest about the skills and experience you have, even if they don’t entirely match the job description. Again, you can use the cover letter to explain that you’re aware your skills and experience could be improved and that you’re working to improve them—or are willing to.
Are you ready to submit your CV for jobs? Send it over to us and we can help you make it stand out from the crowd when you’re applying for those top London jobs.
Love Success is a leading London PA & office support recruitment agency.
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