London recruitment agencies shouldn’t just be about getting candidates to sign up without offering some help. Unfortunately, that’s what many are like. At Love Success, we like to be transparent with our support so our candidates can achieve their best.
Recently, we asked some of our recruitment consultants what their top CV advice is. Here are the answers.
Top CV tips from recruitment consultants
1. Keep it simple
Jason said, “Keep it simple. Ditch funky fonts and bright colours. Instead, be simple and professional. You want to grab the hiring manager’s attention for the right reasons, not the wrong ones.”
2. Get someone impartial to read it
Alison suggested, “Get your recruitment consultant to check your CV and give feedback before you submit it in an application. Sharing it with your best friend can be useful, but they probably don’t understand your field of work and will always think you are the bee’s knees, so they may struggle to be honest. Getting a recruitment consultant to look at it will give you tailored professional advice. After all, we see dozens of CVs every day!”
3. Think about keywords
Arandeep told us, “Get hold of the job description if you can, but definitely the job advertisement or posting. Pick out some keywords and phrases. Try to mirror these within your CV. This will draw the attention of the recruiter and maybe even the application software if it is used. It’s also useful for working out which skills to highlight and focus on if you’re unsure.”
4. Use examples
Tabitha said, “Don’t just list your duties and responsibilities in your career history. Try to put in concrete examples of how you made a difference or added value. This is what makes your CV unique and helps the employer see that you will be a good recruit for them, as they can imagine you benefitting their workplace. Think about your achievements and use these as examples.”
5. Be honest
Josie added, “Never lie. It’s a huge no-no. It will come back round to bite you and it won’t be pleasant. If you’ve got gaps in your CV, your recruitment consultant can help you to cover these professionally.”
6. Check it!
Nancy told us, “Please, please proofread and check your CV before you submit it to employers. This is important for all roles, but particularly those in office support. How can you expect a hiring manager to think you have good attention to detail and take a conscientious approach to your work if your CV has typos and mistakes?”
7. Don’t cram it in
“Your CV should be no more than two pages of A4,” said Sunil. “But that’s two sides of A4 without you enlarging margins too much or cramming in so much text in a tiny font that it’s stuffed. You need plenty of white space. Think about the key points you need to get across and don’t be afraid to keep things brief. Your CV just needs to do enough to show you are worthwhile getting in for an interview, nothing more.”
Our recruitment consultants care about helping you succeed in your career—after all, we Love Success! Let us help you with your CV. Register today.
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