You see a job vacancy advertised and decide to apply for it. You send your CV by email or snail mail, and wait for a reply. If you do not hear anything you will ever decide that you must have been unsuccessful, and move on to the next vacancy.
However, except your CV can stand out in a pile of similar looking documents you may be waiting and waiting for good news. Managers are reviewing CVs in addition to their other duties, so often do not spend much time looking at each one. To be successful, therefore, your CV needs to have something that stands out and grabs the attention of the recruiting manager in a few seconds.
I"ve been recruiting a manager and could run through a pile of CVs in no time, selecting a few for interview. It"s rare that I spent more than a few seconds on each, so something had to attract me quickly. One I saw had a photo of the applicant as part of the CV. She"d printed a good quality color CV and posted it in. Emailing it in would not have worked as it would have been a lower quality black and white image which would not have had the impact, but as it was got an interview, which was what she set out to do.
Making your CV stand out starts with covering the basics. If I saw poor spelling or grammar the CV was likely to be rejected. Negative comments about a present or previous employer would have the same result. Use of positive words would make me read, as would a suggestion of what you could do for me. Interestingly, hobbies and pastimes also told me something about the applicant – as long as they were not listed at the end of a length autobiography! The CV also has to be concise and to the point.
There"s a lot to an effective CV, which is why there are a great many companies out there who will review your CV and revamp it where necessary. The amount you pay for this service can vary greatly, and some may just be completely unaffordable if you are currently out of work. However, getting your CV to stand out in a crowd can be a great investment in your future, so shop around and make it work for you.
Make Your CV Stand Out in a Crowd
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