How to land your dream interview
How to land your dream interview…
Is your CV looking at its BEST?
Is it enough to land you with the interview to propel your career?
First impressions really count. Your CV is the recruiter’s first impression of you, moreover, it’s important to make sure it’s a positive one.
A winning resume should outline all of your relevant skills and experience related to the role that you are applying for. Stop with the generic CVs, companies can spot these a mile away!
The best CV should highlight why you are the perfect person for the job. Highlight that you have the experience for it at the top of your achievements.
We recommend immediately putting to one side CVs that have “little i’s” where there should be a capital letter I, for example. Equally, I have CVs sent in that are a list of jobs showing no personality. I want to see who you are, what you have achieved and what you want in the first thirty seconds – then I will read more.
Writing your CV is a time-consuming process
Especially, as I recommend adapting your CV to each position that you are applying for. CV preparation is a key part of the job searching process and it requires time, effort, and dedication. This is time well spent, by putting in the time to adapt your CV slightly to each position, you are increasing your chances of being selected for an interview. Small changes in your CV can make a huge difference.
Top Tips to consider when writing your CV
- Making a Good First Impression
- Structure Your CV
- Check for spelling errors and typos
- Prepare for Recruiters’ Technology
- Don’t try and reinvent the wheel
Making a Good First Impression
The appearance of your CV is extremely important – it determines whether your CV is read or not. Recruiters are more inclined to read your CV if it is well-structured with an easy clear layout.
Only 10 seconds to impress……..this is the estimated amount of time that each recruiter spends reading over a single CV. Your CV should display professionalism with a clear font size and style.
Length matters
When it comes to the length of your CV. Ensure you have added ALL relevant information.
Graduates / little experience = 2 pages CV
Experienced candidates = Up to 5 pages.
A good CV should highlight your key skills and informs the recruiter exactly why they should hire you.
The Structure of Your CV
Your Contact Details
Include your key contact details: name, address, phone number/s, email address, and a relevant URL like LinkedIn etc.
Personal Profile
Use this summary section to outline what you can offer and why you are suited to this position. Always tailor this summary to each role that you apply for.
If you are thinking of changing careers or are just starting your career, use this section to explain why you are changing your career and highlight transferable skills.
Your Skills
In this section, use bullet points to outline your key skills, including around 8-10 skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for. Try to match these keywords to words used within the job description.
Your Work Experience
Outline your most recent experience first, followed by a reverse-chronological order of your job positions. This should resemble a timeline of your experience, preferably displaying clear career progression, and should date back through your whole career.
Include your company name, job title, and dates of employment. Write a short description of the role enriched with strong keywords and your daily tasks listed in a bullet-pointed format.
Gaps in your CV?
Explain your reasons for them such as travelling, career change, caring for a relative, launching your own business, etc.
Education and Qualifications
Include course/qualification name, name of organisation/school/university, dates of attendance, and your grades. If you can gain value from mentioning specific modules or subjects that you studied, add them in. Don’t forget to add any qualifications or certifications you have gained through previous employment.
Hobbies and Interests
If you have just finished school or University, it’s more common to add an ‘Interests’ section to give your CV more depth however once your work experience builds up, it is normal to drop this, or keep it to a one-liner.
BEWARE of Technology – it can gobble up your CV
Nowadays, it’s becoming much more common for a robot to read your CV. This may sound crazy, but companies are using automation to speed up their recruitment process and to help them stay organised. It’s called Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and it means often your CV is scanned by robots/technology before being seen by a recruiter. For this reason, your CV needs to be fully optimised to pass this initial screening stage.
Top Tip – Use keywords specific to the Job
As some employers use automation in this initial stage of the recruitment process, it’s important to use keywords as this is what the ATS is usually scanning for. It’s important to keep in mind which keywords are used within the job description and the candidate specification and to use these throughout your CV.
Top Tip – Remember to Spell Check
Having one misspelt keyword could significantly ruin your chances of being hired. Make sure that you check your spelling and grammar multiple times to avoid these mistakes. Always get a proofreader. this can be an ‘educated’ friend or family member. It’s always good to have a second pair of eyes look over your work.
Finally – Ensure you ask Recruitment Agencies not to spam out your CV!
It’s really important. Ask to be put forward for the role you are applying for, then ask that they get consent before sending it elsewhere (in writing). What you do not want is a generic CV landing on every hiring manager’s desk, as you could be rejected for a role simply because your CV did not sell you well for a particular role.