How to Improve Your CV and Get Noticed

When applying for new roles, having a CV that stands out and gets the attention of the person reading it is vital. It’s the only way to get noticed ahead of the other applicants for a role, so getting it right is critical. Let’s look at how you can improve your CV, stand out from your competitors, and get the attention of the right people to help land your dream job…

Use Keywords

If someone is confronted with a large pile of CVs, they’re likely only going to skim read them and omit ones that don’t include the keywords they’re looking for. Have a thorough think about the role you’re applying for and the industry, and then use specific keywords that relate to these.

Check Your Formatting

When someone is sifting through lots of CVs, they’ll often quickly dismiss any that don’t have orderly formatting that looks good and makes the information contained in the CV easy to find.

Presentation and first impressions are crucial, so spacing items evenly, cutting long paragraphs down into smaller snippets, and drawing the eye to important items using bullet points instead of long sentences are great ideas.

Consider Your Font

It’s best to avoid using any fonts that are overly fussy or embellished and instead stick to using something clean, simple, and easy to read. Fonts like Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, and Times New Roman all fit the bill and are more accessible for all readers (for example, those with dyslexia).

Craft an Excellent Personal Statement

The most effective CVs have a great personal statement that is concise and highlights your previous experience, most important skills, and any professional and personal qualities relevant to the role.

Get Someone Else to Read Your CV Over

Getting an objective opinion on your CV is always helpful, so ask someone else to read over it and give you any feedback they can. If you know anyone working in the industry, or even in the specific role you’re applying for, asking them to give feedback can be incredibly useful. They’ll be able to provide you with insight into what you can include within your CV that’s particularly relevant to the job you’re applying for and help your CV grab attention.

Check Your Spelling and Grammar

Checking your spelling and grammar might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget to do this or overlook mistakes. Even if you’ve crafted the best CV ever and are the perfect fit for a role, many people will reject CVs with spelling or grammar mistakes immediately as it shows poor attention to detail and gives a bad impression. Check, check, and check again for any spelling or grammar mistakes until you’re sure there are none.