Make your CV interesting!

Saturday, June 27th, 2009 - CV Tips, How to Write a CV, Job Advert, cv help, cv writing, how to make a cv, job application, job search, professionalism, tutorial

Make your CV interesting!

If you follow all of the rules of CV Writing anyone has ever written about, you will make your CV relevant to the job applied for – and that’s better than 1/3 of all job applicants. But to win a job search, you have to make your CV interesting to read, and hence engaging

For every job application, you must always focus your CV for each job. This doesn’t mean a complete rewrite, but specifically aligning it to show, answer and highlight the required skills, qualifications and experiences about yourself with regards to the job advert. You should never give a standard CV in response to job adverts, and if you do expect to see your results significantly drop

CV relevant

To make your CV relevant to the job being applied for, you need to note down and match the skills the job advert is asking for. The best way of doing this is to read the job advert three times, and if it sounds interesting take a copy of the advert. Now take a highlighter pen, and note down the key skills, qualifications and experiences that it asks for, and the order in which they are listed.

Taking this list, now find them in your CV – if you can’t find them, then don’t apply: your application will be rejected!

If you can find those required skills, qualifications and experiences in your CV – or know you have them – then after undertaking some research on your prospective employer, you will also be able to note the company culture, and if you like it. Your research should also allow you to highlight clearly what value you can add to the job and the company, so they can appreciate the value addition you would bring in

Having noted these elements, then rewrite your Personal Statement towards:

• your relevant experiences for that job
• the fact that your next career step makes that job ideal

This combination will draw the employers interest towards your best plus points, which will show you as one of the most eligible job applicants. Returning to the key skills, qualifications and experiences that the job seeks, align the way in which they appear throughout the CV. This will not only attract their attention, but also highlight your overall awareness

One last point to make sure you look interesting. When mentioning technology, always make it modern and up to date. Unless you are applying for technology job, no need to note down the version number you are qualified to use, but do make sure that the system or software you refer to is still in usage and hence current.

Once you have made your CV interesting and relevant, ensure the style is relevant for the job you are applying for, using a more diverse style for creative jobs, and more focus on technology for information technology posts. You can then on editing check other aspects of style, by keeping sentences short, format to two pages, and making it easy to read. Before you print off the final version of your CV, undertake a spell check and then print it out in draft format. Read it through, and make any necessary corrections or adjustments. Until you find no necessary adjustments, do not send it to any potential employer.

Making your CV Interesting is easy if you follow some basic rules. Doing so will easily allow you to get more interviews.

Good Luck!

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