If you are struggling to get an interview but you have the required skills for a role, it may be down to your CV. Candidates often undersell themselves in their CVs, and therefore, it may not be a true reflection of their abilities. There is no underestimating the importance of a CV. It is your marketing tool to get you in front of potential employers and as such, it is important to ensure your CV is professional and reflects your abilities to undertake the role.

Do you need a CV?

When applying for jobs, most employers will ask you to submit a CV. There are very few who will invite you for an interview without a CV, as they would have no insight into your experience and skills. Regardless of the industry or requirement for a CV, it is a good idea to have one prepared incase you ever need it.

What is the purpose of a CV?

Your CV should be viewed as your tool for marketing yourself. It is the main way you show potential employers that you can do the job. Employers may not want to pour over a CV for hours, but they do expect it to be concise, attractive, and professional. If you have any errors in your CV, it will not reflect well on your professionalism. Conversely, if the employer feels that you have spent a lot of time and effort on your CV, they will feel more comfortable about inviting you for an interview. A good quality CV shows a great deal of professionalism.

How to ensure you stand out

There are several ways you can help ensure your CV stands out from the others. If your CV is colourful and contains graphics, it will make an instant impact with employers. Graphic CVs will stand out more in a pile of traditional black and white CVs, so this is an option worth considering. You can also ensure it contains keywords that are relevant to the role. The employer may just quickly scan your CV and therefore, these keywords need to be visible. Your CV can be tweaked to suit the company and role you are applying to.

What should be included in a CV? 

CVs shouldn’t be more than two pages unless it is impossible to tell your story without it being longer. The reason for this is that most employers don’t spend much time perusing CVs and they may have a pile to get through. Therefore, you want to ensure that it doesn’t become an essay. Here are the main elements of your CV:

• Personal details – your CV should contain your personal details, especially your telephone number and email address. You may also include your social media links if you think they’re relevant (but remember that they might view things that you don’t want them to see!)
• Profile – the profile is a short summary of your main career achievements and aspirations.
• Experience – your career history should include the name of the employer, your job title, and the dates you were employed. You should then list your main duties within the role.
• Education – the education section should list the qualifications and dates and you may want to also include some of the modules and the grades.
• Achievements – you may also wish to include an achievements section, especially if you have some that you really want to shout about.

Most candidates prefer to get a professional CV, so they can ensure they stand out and make an impact with their CV. If you are interested in a professional CV service, you can order here or contact us to find out more about our CV services.