Great ways to get your CV noticed

Here at Choralis, our consultants have more than 40 years’ experience between them so it’s safe to say that by now we know a thing or two about recruitment. We come across hundreds of CVs every week and unfortunately don’t have time to go through each and every one of them in fine detail.

As we don’t want to miss out on any great candidates, there are a few key things we always look out for to help us quickly identify a great CV. Below are some great ways to get your CV noticed and ensure that it’s as recruiter friendly as possible.

• Open your CV with a very clear and professional mission statement. This is your first and possibly only opportunity to grab the attention of the reader. A brief introduction that summarises your skills, achievements and what you are looking for is a great way to stand out because it will help recruiters to immediately distinguish whether you are suitable for a role or not.

• Keep it simple and brief. As tempting as it is to mention every little thing you have accomplished, a ten page CV is unlikely to get read. Highlight the main successes of  your career and what you think is the most relevant to the job you are applying for. Any additional information can be covered at the job      interview when you have more of an opportunity to sell yourself.

• Whether it’s your qualifications or experience, don’t ever be tempted to lie or exaggerate. If  this isn’t checked before you start your new role it is bound to come up at some point. Even if you don’t quite have the experience a company is looking for, employers are very keen on employees who are keen and willing to learn new skills. Expressing this is going to get you much further than lying about it and getting caught out later down the line.

• Make sure that your entire CV is all in the same font. It might sound obvious but we get a lot of documents through that have been typed up in several different themes and unfortunately it doesn’t look very professional.

• Double check that there are no spelling or grammar mistakes on your CV. A new study has revealed that poor spelling and bad grammar can actually affect your career, business and how you’re perceived as a professional. It is well worth checking your finished CV a few times and getting someone else to have a look as well because doing this could be the difference between you securing an      interview and your CV ending up in the bin.

We are always happy to help our candidates perfect their CV and will always offer suitable advice if we feel it’s necessary. For more information about CV writing, read our guide on ‘How to write a CV’.