CV Writing Tips to Get Noticed Today

Did you know that on average, recruiters spend just 75 seconds scanning and reading your CV? With just over a minute to sell yourself, what you write on those few sheets can make or break your chances of securing an interview.

In recent weeks as job opportunities have become sparse and applicants' volume has soared, candidates are up against hundreds. To stand out from the masses, individuals need to be treating their CV like "a marketing document designed to attract employers to you" as James Reed, chairman of Reed recruitment says.

But where to begin? Well, we're going to walk you through some of the general advice to follow when learning how to write a CV and impart some CV tips that can help catapult you to the top of the pile!

How to write a CV

CV writing tips seem never-ending, but it doesn't have to be rocket science! You most likely have all the skills and experience you need to impress recruiters. When getting started, try to focus on these five areas:

Overall layout

Your CV layout can have a huge influence over the reception of your application. Depending on the type of role you're applying for, it's best to keep it logical and clear. If your application is for a design role, you can get away with a little flair and some colour, but if you're applying for a medical role, a plain, organised layout would be more appropriate.

Here are some other pointers to stick by:

• Never use a font smaller than 11pt or bigger than 12pt
• Instead of putting 'Curriculum Vitae' at the top, put your name in large font
• Make sure text is evenly spaced
• Write in the first person but leave out the personal pronouns so 'I led a successful team' becomes 'led a successful team'.
• Remember that due to age discrimination laws you aren't required to state your age/date of birth!

Personal statement

Underneath your name, at the top of your professional CV, should be a brief personal statement outlining who you are as a person. Discuss how you'll benefit the role and the career goals you hope to achieve.

This should be a maximum of 5 sentences, but don't use this area to reel off hobbies and generic statements like 'I am a team player' as employers will want to know what makes you specifically a good fit.

You'll want to tailor your CV here to each role you apply for; identify the skills that their job specification outlines and use this as a frame to reflect the reasons why you and your experience makes for the ideal candidate.

Five lines are very brief, we know, but the more concise you are, the better off you will be! A good personal statement example is:

'An experienced and efficient PR representative with over two years of experience in the field. Through excellent networking skills, I have provided my team with vital client leads and successfully built lasting business relationships, resulting in a 20% increase in partnership renewals. I am currently seeking a new challenge in which I can utilise my focus, attention to detail, and professional manner.'

• Top CV tip: make sure your personal statement doesn't copy or repeat what you've written for your cover letter!

Employment

Even if you don't have much practical experience, you can still make your employment history relevant and applicable to the job role. Write about how your experiences have positively developed your skillset, albeit through voluntary work, internships, or extracurricular activities.

• Make sure when including any relevant employment that you are adding the company name, the title of the role, and the start/finish date
• Underneath this then include the key responsibilities you handled and the achievements that you gained from that experience

A key CV writing tip to remember when including your employment is to be relevant! It's OK if your experience history isn't jam-packed with fancy-sounding, professional roles; employers want to see what skills you have now that make you a great fit.

Education

It's tempting isn't it to bump that D up to a C, or even that B to an A if you're feeling bold, but don't! Embellishing your grades is actually fraud and can get you in big trouble! If you completed a course or have a degree, but the final outcome isn't as impressive as you'd like, focusing on the positives of what you got from it can be just as good.

Be specific about course content like modules, or open university courses that particularly resonated with you. This will demonstrate to employers that while you value results, you also appreciate the work that goes into gaining them!

For degree level:

• State the institution from which you gained your certificate
• Type of qualification e.g. Bachelor of Arts
• Start and end date of course

For A-Level:

• For A-Levels, BTECs, Scottish Highers, Advanced Highers or others, you should list your grades alongside the relevant subject of study

For GCSE:

• For some roles, employers may request more in-depth information on GCSE's but for most, simply stating how many you got and the range of grades you achieved will suffice

Make sure you add any relevant courses you may have done outside of academic settings and look at the job specification for any subject that might be of particular relevance.

Skills

Although some people tend to leave this part out, employers find it very useful in building a picture of you as a person. Emily Austen, CEO of Emerge PR said: "I always look at extra-curricular activities, as a work/life balance is so important," she states. "The sports you play, any achievements, challenges, other qualifications, side hustles...being interested immediately makes you more interesting as a candidate."

It's not always easy to know what to include when learning how to write a CV. Including a hobby you turned into a small business can give an employer a better sense of who you are. Even talking about casual pastimes can demonstrate valuable qualities that will make you an ideal candidate. Adding skills can be great for individuals that are struggling with providing professional experience!

Sharing the hobbies and interests that get you off the sofa shows that you have the get-up and go attitude that companies are looking for, so don't leave them out!

Here are a few more CV writing tips

No one writes the perfect CV first time, so drafting it is a process; you'll only make it better and better the more you revise it.

Keep updating it!

Apply this to the entirety of your CV, yes, but also make sure you're updating your cover letter too!

This is tedious; no one likes to do it but given how many people are applying for the same role these days, showing that you're keen for that specific role is key. Make sure you stress how your past experiences, both professionally and otherwise, make you ideal for the role you're targeting.

Don't repeat their requirements

Although you'll want to demonstrate exactly how fantastic you would be in the role they're looking to fill, repeating the exact requirements mentioned in the job description is not the best way to write your CV.

Try and focus on the experience you've gained and the transferable skills that they have given you. These will seem much more relevant when you frame them within your past roles, and employers will easily see how your description relates to the requirements they're looking for.

Avoid being vague

The tried and true clichés just won't cut it anymore we're afraid! You say you're 'hard-working' but what does that actually mean if you've not got any examples?

Back everything up with proof! If you are genuinely 'excellent at time management,' then give them a reason to believe you with some past experiences where you displayed this. Try and be as specific as you can and you'll have no trouble convincing employers of your potential!

Link your professional profiles

Connecting your LinkedIn account or other professional profiles is not only making the hiring manager's job easier, but you're giving them a better picture of your professional experience and networking capabilities.

This also goes for those looking for creative roles - linking your portfolio is vital so that employers can view your previous work and accomplishments.

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