Diagnosing the key strengths and weaknesses of a CV is tricky and often can catch the eye of your employer instantly. However, if there is a major slip up then sooner rather than later you’re bound to get noticed – for the wrong reasons!
Take for example the five final candidates from hit BBC1 programme The Apprentice who suffer in the penultimate week by going through the gruelling job interview process (although don’t be put off, we would say that this is more of an interrogation!).
Those applicants who have been brave enough to elaborate on their experience are often caught out for lying on their CV and punished by being branded as a cheat. It’s only on the very rare occasion that an employer will reward you for such behaviour by handing you a £100,000 salary and high-flying job, as series five winner of The Apprentice Lee McQueen did.
So in order to avoid such CV blunders, why not follow Grad Central’s Top Five Résumé Rules:
1. Draw them into your best bits
You should be keen to show off the best of your skills and achievements to potential employers. These points don’t have to be made too obvious in big, bold letters but if you can feature them someway in your CV then businesses will know your best attributes and how to best fit you into their company because of them.
2. Re-write for new roles
If you’re one of the lucky ones who can apply to whole variety of job positions then it’s time to look at how your CV caters for this. Tailor it to what the role requires with relevant skills and experience, and try to avoid generic answers as to how you will best fill this specific role – it may take more time but in the long run it will be worth it.
3. How can you help the business?
Often a key attraction of an employer is knowing how potential candidates will be able to contribute to the company. If you can demonstrate specific skills that will be lucrative to their business, something that maybe they haven’t experienced before, then you’re well on the way to the top!
4. Gearing up to goals
Showing that you have your eyes set on future targets will give employers a greater understanding of you as a perfect candidate. If you have an end goal set in your sights, this will show that you are committed and driven towards achieving such things for the company as well as for yourself.
5. Spell-check and check again
Probably the most essential of all things to check on a CV is the spelling and grammar - but don’t count on Word to do all the hard work for you. Often there can be slip-ups so to make sure you don’t have any silly mistakes, get someone reliable to proofread it before printing.
For more advice with updating your CV, why not talk to one of Grad Central’s recruitment experts on 01675 461500.