CV Tweaking Tips!
- Cassidy Crane Recruitment
- Jul 6, 2015
- 2 min read
Have you found that your job search has fallen a little flat lately? Sifting through job boards can be a tedious task, so when that one role sticks out that you're eager to be considered for, you want to make your CV stand out from the rest.
You probably have it all under control, but check our 'tweaking' tips out below and make sure your CV is recruiter- friendly.
1- Friendly Format
A lot of recruiters use tracking systems when managing our flow of applicants. Using a standard Word document is the quickest and easiest way to get your CV noticed. Always create your CV in the standard word document and save as a .doc.
Avoid saving as- .docx, .pdf, .rtf, .JPEG.
2- Simplicity is key!
Try and avoid complicated templates with lots of boxes and borders. Use a simple, clear layout with a generic font. Using a Windows generic font means that it will be recognised across all systems. Using a less common font might mean that it will show up on a Recruiters system looking like wingdings instead of words.
Good fonts- Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia, Calibri, Tahoma, MS Sans Serif, Verdana.
Reed offer a good, basic CV template as a free download on their website. Click here to get it- http://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/blog/2014/january/free-cv-template
3- Leave no gaps
Big gaps between jobs aren't always a bad thing- as long as they are explained. Maybe you were made redundant and it took you a few months to find suitable work- just put it on your CV to explain the gap.
Always put dates on your periods of employment. You don't need to explain why you left your previous positions, but it's good to have on there as the recruiter will ask anyway.
4- Cover Letter
Supporting your application with a cover letter is your selling opportunity. If you're applying for a particular job, it's a chance for you to talk about the specific role and why you would be suitable for it.
Tip- As well as a cover letter, make sure you always taylor your CV to what you're applying for.
We'll talk more about Cover Letters in an upcoming blog, but for now we hope these tips help!
Comments