Make Your CV Outshine the Competition

Often you have only one chance to impress the potential employer with your CV. The first impression really counts, so you need to make sure your application is the marketing document that will eventually sell you to the recruiter and help you land the job.

CV Politan, which is offering CV writing help, has gathered the following simple but effective tips on how to make your CV stand out from the crowd and ascend above other applicants.

Top Quarter of Your CV

If you want HR manager to read your CV to the end, you have to capture their attention with the first sentence.

Make sure the top quarter of the CV provides the most essential information that recruiter needs to know. Why? Because this is the first things they see once they open your application.

Put yourself in their shoes. They receive thousands of CVs every week, so it’s up to you to make yourself stand out. If the potential employer can’t see necessary information at the top of the document after a quick scan, you are likely to lose your chance.

You should definitely optimize it and add essential skills and experience. This will significantly improve your chances of landing an interview.

Important! One of the best ways to show that you are a perfect fit is to list your Core Skills below the top quarter part of your CV.

Targeted CV

A lot of job seekers think that unlike a resume, CV does not have to be targeted. Wrong! Those who send their CV without making prior research are likely to fail.

Start by looking through job ads. What are the most common requirements for the position you crave? These are exactly the qualities and skills potential recruiter wants to find in your CV!

Don’t forget to use actual facts and figures. Depending on your area of expertise you might want to include the following information into your CV:

• Amount of revenue generated;
• Time taken to complete a project;
• Value of company budget controlled.

Easily Readable CV

It is great if you are the best at what you do. However, if your CV is hard to read, the potential recruiter will never get the right idea. All the information should be properly sorted. More than that, there are general requirements for all CVs:

• Simple font. Do not expect the HR manager to read your CV from the beginning to the end if it’s written in Comic Sans. Opt for simple fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial.
• Defined sections. Almost all employers start by scanning your CV to see if it contains necessary skills and qualifications. If the information is not separated and sorted into clear sections, HR manager is likely to reject your application without giving it a second glance.
• Chunks of text. If you break the text into logical chunks, it will be a lot easier to grasp its essence. This about readers experiences and make sure the paragraphs are short. You definitely do not want to bury some necessary fact because your CV looks like a wall of text.
• Bullet points. Do not underestimate a reasonable use of bullet points. They can help the recruiter navigate and find things while not spending too much time and effort.

CV that Stands Out

If you think making several changes to your old CV would be just as good, you will most likely end up searching for a new job for ages.

Do not underestimate the importance of customizing your CV for each particular position. For example, project manager CV requires specific organizing and supervising experience.

Submitting one document for several different positions can result in the job search failure. Make sure your CV demonstrates your key strengths and relevant achievements that are necessary for a certain job.

Good luck!