Your CV is designed for one main purpose: To get you a job interview.

Employers spend less than 30 seconds scanning your CV so it needs to be clear and concise. Use our top tips to ensure the employer chooses your CV above others. 

1. Choose a clear layout

2. Keep it clear and concise.

3. Use the following headings to plan your layout:

Personal statement
Keep it to about 50 words, highlight relevant experience, key attributes and goals
Contact Details
Include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail.
Work Experience
List your most recent position first and focus on the outcome of your work.
Include role, organisation, dates, main responsibilities and achievements.
Provide specific details on your personal role rather than the team.
Include factual information where possible on size of project, any values etc.
Include all roles over the last 10 years particularly if you have been at an organisation for a long time.
Skills
IT packages you’ve used, foreign languages etc.
Education & Professional Qualifications
List your most recent studies first.
Hobbies & Interests
Optional but gives the interviewer an insight into your personality.
References
Optional to provide full details.
Keep it simple
Steer clear of long paragraphs, bullet points are easier to read.
Tailor your CV
Tailor your CV
Making the effort to tailor your CV to highlight relevant experience for the role you’re applying for will increase your chances of securing an interview.
Show what makes you unique
There could be hundreds of candidates applying for the same job as you. As well as looking for skills, employers are looking for solutions. So don’t just explain what you’ve done, stand out by letting the employer know how can you make a positive impact, highlighting notable achievements in previous roles is one of the best ways to do this.
Keep your CV up-to-date
It’s often difficult to remember projects you have been involved with and achievements you have made. To avoid missing these out revisit your CV every month, adding anything of importance and cutting out unnecessary information.
Check and re-check
It’s easy to make mistakes on your CV so check it for spelling and grammatical errors as these are one of the first things employers use to filter out candidates. Finally get someone to look over it before you send it to an employer or upload it onto a website.

In this digital age, your online brand plays a large role in selling you, so take a look at our handy tips to maximise your brand strategy.

At Outsource Recruitment our consultants work on a personal and consultative basis with our candidates. Get in touch with our team to find out how we can assist you with your job search.