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Writing a good CV can be one of the toughest challenges you will face whilst job hunting. Most employers spend just a few seconds scanning each CV before deciding if they are going to proceed to the next steps and interview process! We have taken the time to compile our Top 10 hints on how to show the world 'this is me!' and get that all-important interview.

Tip 1. Keep it short but sweet!

Usually a CV should be no more than two A4 pages! Employers spend, on average, a mere 8 seconds looking at a CV. One way to put your CV onto the pile of “not for consideration” is to have too many words and too much life history. You should keep it punchy, to the point, and save those niggly little details for the interview.

Tip 2. Make every application unique!

Every single role that you apply for should have an individual application. It might be easy to get trigger happy and apply for multiple roles at a time – however you should take the time to amend your CV for every job you apply for! Make sure that you research the company which you are applying for and use the job advert to work out exactly what skills you should point out to them!

Tip 3. Include a personal profile!

A key way to make sure when the employer looks at your CV, they see the most relevant experience for the vacancy is to include a personal statement. This could also be followed up with a key skills section! If you tailor this to every role you apply for, they will immediately see your suitability for the position in those first 8 seconds!

Tip 4. Explain any gaps!

Its one of the biggest reasons that an employer will not seek to interview you, gaps! It makes the employer immediately suspicious and can be a worry for them what you’ve been doing in this time. In most parts there will be a simple explanation, and this should be in short explained on your CV. Leave the detail for the interview but if you have done anything such as studying, volunteering etc you should shout about this!

Tip 5. Keep it up to date!

Its important, so that you don’t forget in the future, when you leave a job that you spend time updating your CV! You should also keep a record of every achievement and qualification you secure – no matter how small – this could come in handy in years to come!

 
Tip 6. Spell check, Spell check and Spell check again!

Many employers today will look for errors on a CV and if they see a spelling or grammatical error this could put you on a back foot before you even start the interview process!  If you're unsure then use a spellchecker and ask someone else to double-check what you've written.

Tip 7. Be truthful!

Lying on your CV is a big no no! Its easier than ever now for people to check dates of employment, background and references and should you be caught telling fibs it could jeopardise your future with the potential or even new employer! You should also consider the impact of sitting in an interview and not being able to answer a specific question related to your “experience”

Tip 8. Include figures with your achievements!

This is often the difference between a good application and a great one! Make yourself stand out from the crowd by backing up your best bits with figures. For example, if you were to increase revenue in a sales role don’t just say this, include the maths! Tell them that you increased revenue by 50%! Its important here to remember to keep this truthful though as in point 7!

Tip 9. Formatting and layout are key!

In today’s market the way your CV looks is as important as the content! Make sure you take time to make the layout look clear and concise so for example use bullet points, keep the sentences to point and not too much detail, if your applying for a marketing position why not include a link to your portfolio of works, if you have a LinkedIn profile why not attach the link so they can check you out in person!

Tip 10. Make it keyword friendly!

As the job market moves more towards Artificial Intelligence its important to make sure that your CV is picked up in as many searches on the major search engines such as Reed.co.uk, Total Jobs.co.uk and CV Library.co.uk. The more times you can get your CV to appear in searches by recruiters and employers the more chance you have of receiving a call about your profile!  If you're not sure, have a search online and see what words are commonly mentioned when you input your job title.

Lastly, we would advise you to keep all the content in your CV positive! If for example you have left a position due to being unhappy, or maybe there was a negative reason for the end of that employment do not air this on your CV. If asked you will get chance to explain in your interview!