There is no such thing as the perfect CV, the key to a good one is individuality and an accurate representation of the person it’s describing. But writing your CV and ensuring it both stands out and is guaranteed to make an employer keen and curious to meet you is a skill in itself and a task that should be given time, effort and sufficient research. Running a recruitment agency we see lots of CVs and have monitored how the styles of the ones that stand out have changed over the years. Below are our 8 top tips for how to write a successful, stand out CV in 2019.

INCLUDE A SHORT PERSONAL STATEMENT

This is your chance to tell an employer who you are, but keep it relevant and concise. More recently some of the most impressive CVs we’ve seen have included short personal references from previous employers at the top. This is a good way to communicate the kind of person you are from an employer’s perspective.

MAKE THEM WANT MORE

Keep it punchy and to the point. A CV is not the place to describe your entire life story and a good one will give just enough information to prove your skills and gain the interest of a potential employer, with enough details left out for question material in the interview.

DON’T LEAVE GAPS

All work or life experience can be positive, so regardless of what you’ve done write it down and relate it to the job you’re applying for. Leaving gaps will only make an employer suspicious. Even if you’ve been out of work any courses, temp work or chance to develop soft skills such as communication or team work is useful and someone who can put a positive spin on a negative situation always stands out.

TELL THE TRUTH

Don’t lie on your CV. It’s not worth it, ever.

MAKE IT LOOK GOOD

Our favourite CVs are the ones that are easy to read. Separate each section with different headings and leave enough white space to ensure it doesn’t look overcrowded. State your personal details clearly at the top and underneath list your sections in a logical order. We advise keeping the length to no more than 2 A4 sides.

MAKE IT KEYWORD FRIENDLY

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are systems that filters CVs by keywords and phrases and are used by some large organisations to manage responses to recruitment campaigns. Think of keywords that relate to the job you're applying for and ensure that you’ve mentioned these in your CV. While many companies won’t use ATS, we don’t at Anderson Hoare, bearing them in mind is still good practice to ensure that your CV is tailored to the job you’re applying for. However, remember that ATS are only used at the beginning of the process and your CV will always be read by a human – don’t overuse keywords or base your CV around them.

PROOFREAD

Check, check and check again. Then get someone you trust to check it too. There is no excuse for spelling or grammar mistakes.

FIND YOUR USP

Think of what you do outside of work that makes you even more suited to the position you’re applying for. Maybe you have a blog that’s dedicated to your field of expertise and therefore you have extensive industry knowledge, or maybe you volunteer or took time off to go travelling. How you spend your free time gives an impression of who you are as a person so relate it to your career goals and set yourself apart from the crowd.

Should you want any advice on your CV then just give us a call, we offer all our candidates CV advice and are more than happy to chat through yours.