Studies show that recruiters spend 7.4 seconds to screen a CV before deciding whether or not the candidate fits the role. If you’re looking for a job and preparing a resume, you should not be asking “how to write a resume?” but “how do I write a great resume that stands out?”.
Your job-hunting process starts with creating an effective CV that grabs recruiters’ interest. First impressions are vital to success. Here are 6 effective ways to create a killer CV.
Start with a Strong Objective.
Start with a strong summary of your skills and key accomplishments. One of the first things that grab the attention of recruiters is your career objective. Say what exactly you are and what you want to become. This makes a positive impression among recruiters. Be creative and expressive when explaining about you and your objective. However, that doesn’t mean you need to be poetic to impress them. Just use relevant keywords and make the objective sound stronger.
Highlight Results Rather Than Your Roles.
Making your CV stand out is not so easy. You need to show the actual contribution in numbers rather than explaining your roles and responsibilities. For example, say, “I increased social media engagement by 36% for my previous company.” rather than “I helped to boost the company’s growth.” Emphasizing your results using the data makes your CV stand out and sound more confident.
Customize CV for Different Job Posts.
The competition among job seekers is always there, irrespective of job search trends. Hence, you need to respond to the job description directly and explain why you are the right fit for the role. So, first, understand what the hiring manager is looking for. Then customize your CV for each job and make sure you meet all the job role requirements. Craft your CV in a way that perfectly fits the job description. Elaborate skills that the role needs and explain why you’re the right fit. The more you demonstrate your skills, the better your CV attracts the recruiters. Of course, it may take longer to write a CV that stands out among all other applicants, but it helps you land your dream job.
Highlight the Growth
Employers and recruiters pay attention to knowing what type of person you are and your skills, education, and experience. Make sure your CV also focuses on your personal growth. Tell them how you have grown and stepped up in your career. Show your accomplishments and what you have learned from previous employers. This will help recruiters understand that you are committed to improving and expanding your skill sets.
Not More Than Two Pages
You need to tell everything important about your career on your CV. But that doesn’t mean it should be long and boring. An impressive CV has clear and concise details about you, more than necessary; bragging would turn your CV boring. Moreover, research shows a good CV should have no more than two pages. Single-page CVs are good to go if you include links to your portfolio.
Recruiters receive hundreds of CVs each day, and paying attention to each one of them is nearly impossible. As we said, they spend no more than 7.4 seconds to screen a CV. So, it is suggested to keep your CV within two pages. However, if you’re writing a CV for more than two pages, ensure you have great stories, and they’re worth remembering.
Show that You’re Updated with Industry Trends.
Your CV attracts more when it demonstrates your knowledge of the industry. An awareness of your domain allows recruiters to understand if you are updated with news related to the industry. This helps you get through the screening and further rounds of the interview.
Keep it Aesthetically Appealing.
Ensure your CV is visually appealing and professional. Before you send out your CV to recruiters, make sure that the font style you use is readable and legible. A few professional font styles are Times New Roman, Georgia, Calibri, and Helvetica. Also, check if the font size is consistent throughout the CV. Generally, it is recommended to use 12 font sizes.
The design also adds weight to your CV. So, keep it is minimal and visually appealing. If you’re using a modern template, ensure there are no unnecessary elements or colors that disturb the content on your CV. White background with black text and blue or green for highlights should suffice.
Include Links to Your Social Media Profiles
As standing out is essential to get the job you want, make sure you’re as unique and updated as possible. Include quick links to your professional social media channels (if you’re applying for a creative role like a digital marketer or graphic designer, include profiles in which you’re active). This makes the decision-making of the recruiter or hiring manager easy.
The concept is simple. Show them your real work. Provide links to your personal blog or previous work to make their job easier and save time. However, ensure these profiles are up-to-date and appropriately optimized before linking them.
Creating a great CV can be time-consuming, but the time spent on it is well spent as it is the first step toward your future career.
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