What makes a stand-out CV?

Want to know what it takes to write a CV with maximum impact? Here are Working Girl's top 5 tips!

We all need one, we probably have all written one, but have you spent much time thinking what you should be doing to make a stand-out CV?

Here are the top 5 things to consider when writing a CV which has maximum impact!

1. Get job-specific

Write for the job you are applying to, not for the roles you have held in the past. Identify the most relevant achievements, the transferable skills, the projects and expertise which will have high-impact for the role you want, instead of just listing out all the responsibilities you have ever held in the past.

Generic, one-size-fits-all CV's will get you nowhere - it's time to be targeted, relevant and get your CV tailored.

2. What’s in it for them

It’s not about what they can do for you, the fantastic opportunity you are really excited to be part of, the excellent learning and development you will get in the role or the fact this is your dream role. Instead, you need to be able to show the value you are going to bring to the company. Tell them what difference will you make to their team, what specific skills and knowledge you have which resonates with the work they are doing and how will you help solve their problems?

3. Demonstrate your achievements

Back up your experience with stats, get the numbers of how effective you have been in the role and show your results. You need to get across how your input had a direct effect on the project, the team or the wider business.

Your achievements for the role need to shine through and really showcase your experience and skills for the job you want.

4. Be consistent

In font.

In style.

In format.

In grammar.

In tone.

…just maintain consistency!

5. Be Concise

Stop the rambling and get to the point. Use a clear logical structure and make it easy for the reader to navigate through your CV and to find what they are looking for. Don’t make them work for it by searching through paragraphs of text, use succinct bullet points and maximise the first 5-words of each point to grab attention and maintain their interest level.

If you are struggling with where to start with your CV, you keep hearing about "tailoring" to the job but have no idea how to do this or just don't seem to be getting any traction with your CV when applying for roles, feel free to book in for a CV Review Session where we can go over all aspects of your CV and you can learn how to create that stand-out CV which has maximum impact!