Top 10 Tips To Make Your CV Stand Out

Your CV may just be a couple of pages long but those few pages hold your fate of whether or not you’ll be employed at a business that will help you grow as a person and climb up the corporate ladder accordingly. Get the job you deserve because you put in the right attitude and efforts when it comes to complying your CV and working your way up when you do get the job. Here are the top 10 tips that will ensure that your CV ends up at the top of the “to consider and interview” list;

• Have a cover letter that will leave a great impression:
  Open with a strong profile that highlights the very best of your abilities and how this makes you the ideal candidate for the job. But remember it is not a wish list and should be backed up by evidence further on in your CV.Your cover letter is the one place where you’re meant to sell yourself as best as you can.
• Presentation is important:
  Avoid gimmicks like strongly coloured paper, or photos. Unnecessary boarding and small images that are meant to make your CV look more “appealing” to the potential employer, they don’t impress.
• The right use of language shows that you know the industry:
  Use punchy dynamic language; avoid essay style writing. Long, rambling CV’s go on a quick route to the bin. Use language that is clear to everyone.
• Get straight to the point, right wording:
  Make sure it is concise and easy-to-read. Now isn’t the time to prove your knowledge of uncommonly used words.
  Be clear, accurate and straight to the point. There’s no need to be using bombastic words. You might not even be applying for a grammar related job, where you need to prove how great your English is.
• Don’t have a generic CV:
  Don’t send the same CV to different employers. Take time to target your CV to the specific needs of the business. For example, if the last Ofsted report from the employer says they need someone to do a lot of work around planning, then think about your experiences and strengths in this area and highlight this in the Professional Profile section at the beginning of your CV.
• Structure your CV the correct way:
  Make sure your CV has a clear structure so that employers aren’t having flip the pages more times than a chef in a burger bar to find the info they need. Make it short and sweet only mention the qualifications that are needed for that job.
• Honesty is the policy:
  Tell the truth, always. Never lie about the qualifications you have and don’t mention qualifications you’re in the process of getting. Be honest, represent yourself as a credible person.
• Cover everything thoroughly:
  Don’t leave gaps of what has happened in your career.Otherwise there will be awkward silences during interview as you rack you brains and attempt to plug them, when questioned. Include everything so nothing is brought up when your future employer researches your reputation deeper.
• Check your grammar:
  Always remember to check for spelling and grammatical errors because if you can’t be bothered to do it, then employers won’t bother with you. Effort goes a long way.
• Seek a second opinion:
  Ask a friend to read it over and to be brutally honest with you. Reading your cover letter a few times to see if you’re someone worth hiring.Mbali Ntuli