Your CV is the first impression you’re going to make to the potential employer of any new job that you apply for. The format of your CV and level of creativity will differ depending on the type of job you apply for, but the content itself will always remain the most important element.
According to the Cambridge dictionary, a CV is defined as ‘a short written description of your education, qualifications, previous jobs, and sometimes your personal interests that you send to an employer when you are trying to get a job’.
Put yourself in the potential employer’s shoe, you have a business or are wanting to run a project and need that extra pair of hands with a certain level of experience. With lots of rival candidates going for the job, the CV is the easiest way for employers to find the best one.
It’s a make or break deal, getting the employer their dream candidate and you, your dream job. At FS1 Recruitment, we have helped hundreds of people to improve their CV and wanted to share a few of our top tips on ensuring your CV is as well-written as it can be.
Proofreading your CV
Check your spelling and grammar
A CV must have no errors, and by ‘errors’ we are speaking of spelling and grammar mistakes. You would be surprised about how easy it is to slip up, but this can make a huge impact on whether or not you are employable. (Yes, this matters!).
Spellcheck is now your best friend, your saviour and someone who you can first rely on. Everyone likes to type how they feel and write the whole thing whilst it’s still fresh in their heads, however, this can lead to some major typos. So first things first click on that spell check button or if you are creating your CV online, we recommend using ‘Grammarly’ a free writing app that you can add to your Google chrome bar ensuring no mistakes whilst typing, your own virtual proofreader.
Read your personal statement out loud
Once your virtual best friend has had a look through it, read your CV aloud, this will remind you if you have missed anything and ensure it makes sense before someone reads it. For the final stage of proofreading, find a trustworthy (non-virtual) companion, having someone else view your work makes a massive difference. They can see things from a different perspective. Any questions they have are likely to be the same as the potential employer, so you can get ahead of the game and answer them in your CV.
There are lots of different vital elements involved in creating a stand-out CV. For most creative marketing or design jobs, the layout of your CV can be the deciding factor. For senior roles, the level of relevant experience will always take precedence. But what gets every CV past the first test will always be your attention to detail with spelling, grammar, and a well-written, compelling personal statement.
Got a CV that you want the FS1 team to look through? Contact us today on 01908 787560 or email hello@fs1recruitment.com