Your CV is probably the single most important document when it comes to job searching. It is the window into your life, experience, skills and worth ethic and all the information needed by potential employers must be gleamed from 2-3 pages of A4 text. All too often, when speaking to job seekers, our experience shows that their CV does not reflect their skills or experience accurately.
When looking for a new job it can be extremely frustrating when you apply for roles that matches your skills perfectly, yet you do not even get a call back. Well this could be because your CV is letting you down.
Creating the perfect CV is an art form, for tips on how to get your CV noticed follow this link.
In order to ensure your CV is not overlooked it is important to fill it up with key words relating to the types of roles you are applying for or would like to attract. With the advancement of technology and increased reliance on algorithms, more and more computer programmes are screening your CV for key words and phrases scattered throughout your CV. The more these words come up, the higher up the pile in relevance your CV will appear.
However, trying to fill your CV with ALL the key phrases will undoubtedly make your CV much too long and difficult to read. The solution: that all job seekers should have more than one CV specifically tailored to each job sector of interest.
Read the job advert carefully before you apply
It is extremely important to ensure you read through all aspects of the job description before you make the decision to apply. Once you have read through the role and feel that this is the role for you, then you need to amend your CV to highlight all your attributes matching the job description. When you are entering these details you need to ensure that you prove where you have the matching skill as well as how you used it in your role.
If you are applying for a role that does not match your current skill set you need to explain this during the application process, making it clear in the profile on your CV and in a cover letter that you are looking to change direction and then continue to explain how your skills are transferable to this particular job description. If you fail to do this, your CV would be immediately discounted as irrelevant, so it is extremely important you get the message across.
How to list your previous experience
It is important to ensure you list all previous employment on your CV, otherwise it will look like you have gaps in your employment, which can be a real turn off for a lot of companies. In order to keep your CV as concise as possible you want to ensure you draw attention to the most relevant positions. For positions that aren’t relevant, it is worth having just a few bullet points focussing on transferable skills and achievements. However, in your more relevant roles you want to ensure you expand on everything you were responsible for, ensuring you include specific computer systems, responsibilities and achievements. Ensure you use all the key words pertaining to your job role and sector to maximise visibility, and even go through and bold any key words that match the job description you are applying for.
Maximising search potential on the Job Boards
Job Boards are a great way to maximise your Job search potential, telling Recruiters and Companies that you are actively looking for work. First and foremost it is highly important when using job boards to ensure you update your details within the profile including your contact details. For example, if you are relocating to Liverpool from Bedford and do not update your address in your profile to Liverpool then Recruiters will only contact you about jobs in Bedford, which will leave you extremely frustrated.
Once your profile is updated you need to ensure you have updated your CV to show your most up to date role, and this is where it is important to go through and include all the key words for the job sector and industry in which you are looking to secure a role.
The importance of having more than one CV is crucial therefore for anyone actively looking for a new role, as it allows you to condense your CV to best highlight all your relevant skills and experience for each role you apply for, increasing your chances to advance to interview stage.
I appreciate that creating more than one CV can be frustrating and time consuming, however, losing your chance for developing your career, simply because you couldn’t be bothered would be even more frustrating! If you rely on just one version of your resume you might end up losing this game before it has even started. When submitting your CV for vacancies, you should try to convince the employer that you are the best person for that role. Every role and every company is different and as such so should your CV be. Try it next time, I guarantee you’ll see a difference!
Allstaff Recruitment specialise in permanent, contract and temporary jobs across a vast number of industries in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. If you are looking for Jobs in Bedford and Milton Keynes, then look no further than Allstaff Recruitment.
When looking for recruitment agencies in Bedford or Milton Keynes, Allstaff Recruitment is genuinely interested in both candidates and clients. Our aim is to find you the best match. Our ethos is simple: to build long term relationships by offering an exceptional recruitment service at all times.
As a member of the REC, Allstaff Recruitment is committed to working to the highest possible standards.
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