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How To Make Your CV Stand Out

 Shafkat Ali • Oct 18, 2019

First impressions count. Your CV is the first thing that will be seen by any potential employer and could determine whether or not you’ll be invited for an interview. These days, more and more people use different means of searching and applying for jobs. This includes applying on LinkedIn or searching through social media job boards. Despite new technologies allowing you to expand your job search in new ways, the traditional CV is still the most important tool in your job search kit.


Recruiters spend an average of 5-7 seconds looking at a resumé, so it’s vital that yours stands out immediately. Your CV should show off your skills and experience in a way that will make you stand out amongst fellow candidates. It should highlight you as a key applicant when viewed by recruiters and hiring managers. Our recruiters have developed some top tips for you to adopt when creating your CV:


Tailor your CV

The most important thing you can do is to customise your CV and make it as relevant as possible to the job that you’re applying for. Read the job application carefully and highlight specific skills and experience that you think will make the best impression on a recruiter. Show yourself as somebody who is well-suited to the job at hand. It’s also worth considering scrapping your ‘objective’ statement at the head of your CV for a more targeted tagline that shows employers what you have to offer, such as: ‘highly accomplished marketing professional with more than ten years experience developing multi-million-pound product lines’.


Use keywords

90% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS, or Applicant Tracking Software, to sort out ‘good’ CVs from the ones that they think are less suited to the job. This is particularly relevant in the modern world of online recruitment.


To find out whether you’re suited, the system will scan your CV and pick out certain keywords that are relevant to the job. As a result, it’s always a good idea to structure your CV in a way that will enable the ATS to pick out relevant information. Use keywords that are relevant to the job posting that you’re applying for and that are mentioned in the job posting. Label your professional experience ‘work experience’: this is the phrase that most applicant tracking systems are programmed to recognise. It’s also a good idea to upload your CV as a Word Document, which ATS systems can read, rather than a PDF, which they can’t.


Show off

Your CV is where you sell yourself: don’t be afraid to tell your prospective employer what you’ve done and why you think you’re suited to the role! Highlight your most impressive projects, incorporating measurable results wherever possible. Use action words such as developed, established, or managed, but omit personal pronouns: for example, use ‘accomplished’ rather than ‘I accomplished’. However, list your education, certificates and associations last; the information is important, but not more important than direct experience.


Pay attention to detail

Spellchecking your CV is essential. It’s the one thing that everybody hates doing, but it’s the most important thing you need to do when it comes to applying for a job. One single mistake and your CV will most likely be disregarded! So, proofread and check your grammar a couple of times, before passing it onto friends and colleagues to do the same. Remember, if you are careless when it comes to creating your CV, hiring managers may think you’re careless on the job, too.

It’s also a good idea to double-check that the information you have on your CV corresponds to what is present on your social media and LinkedIn pages. One in three employers reject candidates based on information they’ve found out about them online, so stay alert for anything you post that may reflect negatively on you.


Get formatting

A correctly formatted CV will not only save your prospective interviewer a headache when reading it but will also vastly improve your chances of being called for an interview. Be concise: your document should be no longer than two pages long, and it should be simple and professional. Avoid multiple fonts and sizes and use standard fonts like Arial, Calibri or Tahoma. Complicated formatting, tables and multiple columns should be avoided as ATS systems will not be able to read them.


When it comes to categorising your CV, be organised: use simple categories, and split sections up neatly into themes such as ‘Qualifications’, ‘Accomplishments’, ‘Work Experience’ and ‘Education’. You should also list the employer, job title, and employment dates- in that order, listing your experience and dates of employment in reverse chronological order.


Creating a CV that will really make you stand out as a potential employee is simple with these tips. Including tailored information, the correct formatting, and keywords that will help an ATS to identify you as a prime applicant for the role at hand. Utilising these steps will make you appear as a desirable candidate, even at a five-second glance.


At Kelly Services, we always make the extra effort to ensure we match the best candidates to the best jobs. Find out more about what we do and the areas we work in here, or start looking for the next step in your career today by searching our current vacancies here.

12 Feb, 2024
In the ever-evolving landscape of the professional world, many of us find ourselves at crossroads, contemplating a change in career or seeking new opportunities to ignite our passion.
by Shazamme System User 07 Sept, 2023
Summer is over. September is here. For you lovers of the summer, this can often bring feelings of the blues, but September can represent a time for a fresh start. This time of the year can offer many opportunities for job hunters to find a new job that aligns with their skills, goals, and experience. Check out our top tips on how you can land your dream job this time around (and why you should work with Kelly). 1. Get Clear On Your Goals First and foremost, you must have a clear objective of what you want for your career. Searching for a new job can bring feelings of excitement and motivation but it can also be overwhelming for applicants. Having an idea of what industries, you would like to work in, the timeline in which you would like to find a job, and the companies you’re interested in will reduce those negative feelings but will also give you a sense of direction and focus. 2. Update Your CV The next thing you should look at is improving and updating your CV. Have you demonstrated your most valuable skills? Have you highlighted your most important accomplishments and achievements? Have you included your personal websites, business profiles, and your LinkedIn profile? These are some of the many things to consider when updating your CV. Job applicants should also keep in mind that you should adjust your CV for every job you apply for. You should customize your CV so that it reflects the job you’re applying for.  3. Work with a Recruiter Are you aware of the benefits of working with a recruiter? Recruiters are experts in the hiring industry. They can help save you a significant amount of time during your job search as they know exactly what jobs are available in the market and they can match you with a role that aligns with your experience. Recruitment consultants can help you improve your CV and cover letter as well as make sure you are prepared for interviews. If you would like to read more about the benefits of working with a recruiter, click here . September is an excellent time of the year to find that new opportunity that you have been longing for. By following these tips, you should be on the right course to navigate the job market and find a role that suits you. It’s important to stay positive during your job search as it can sometimes be a lengthy process. But just remember, the right opportunity can take time. If you would like assistance during your job search, please do not hesitate to reach out and email us at info@kellyservices. co.uk. Or click here to search our latest vacancies and apply today!
28 Aug, 2023
Rephrasing the famous song, “Love is in the air”, let’s talk about change is in the air – and everywhere. We grow. We change. Look at your childhood photos. Watch your kid, your nephew, your niece. The change is there, and it’s incredible. Nature is constantly changing. We wait for summer as the time to enjoy outdoor activities and gardening, for a quick visit to the beach, or simply take time to relax and spend time with family, friends and loved ones. We wait for winter (even if we never see snow falling) to decorate the house for the holidays, pack presents for the people we love and unpack our own. The colour of the leaves changes, the weather shifts, and flowers blossom in their time – the landscape is constantly transforming. The world around us is changing. We travel to other countries and learn new things, cultures and languages. We take on new hobbies. We get new skills. After a couple of minor kitchen accidents (sometimes), we can cook delicious dishes and get compliments from family and friends. We transform our bodies at the gym or simply by creating the habit of walking every day. We meet new people, we sometimes fall in love, we build families, we have kids. And if you step back for a second, you realise you might have met your other half by pure accident. But you took a leap of faith into the unknown. We embrace many types of unknown change, except for the one that can change how we live five days a week – to change jobs. “I am too old/too young to change”, “I’m used to this environment; It’s my comfort zone”, “Well, I don’t get any promotion, and what I do doesn’t change the world, but it’s stable”, “I am afraid to ask for more interesting projects. What if my manager fires me?”. We often don’t want to change because that step requires a vision, courage, external support, and a leap of faith into the unknown. Scary? Yes. But also promising. A step into the unknown? Yes. But it can open a new door. Do your inner values marry what you do? Yes, it is essential. There is nothing terrible about staying in your comfort zone. At some stage of your career, staying put can be an excellent decision. But if you feel that you need a change – talk to Kelly. We don’t mind going the extra mile and support your wish to embrace the change. The one which will give meaning to what you do, feel proud, motivated and fulfilled. Ready for changing? We’ll make sure your talent can truly shine.
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