Agencies Not Supporting You?
Struggling To Write A CV That Works?
Is English As A Second Language A Barrier To Writing A Good CV?
A CV that sells is worth its weight in gold. After all, it’s the first impression an agency or potential employer will have of you.
Many of us are unsure what to write and how to structure our CV’s. So if you’re unsure, you can bet agencies and potential employers will be unsure about your abilities.
So it’s essential to get it right first time – and that’s not easy!
If agencies aren’t getting back to you it usually means your CV isn’t exciting them. Remember, the jobs market is competitive and agency staff will naturally support candidates who are easy to place in jobs.
And if English isn’t your mother tongue, it makes it even more difficult to write a convincing resume.
If you’re serious about creating a CV for job hunting, it’s worth using a professional service to write one on your behalf.
Our partners, CV Writing Services, can do this for you for between £75.00 and £165.00. That’s a small investment when you consider how many more interviews and job offers a professional CV will generate.
You can learn more about CV Writing Services by clicking here. In the meantime, please feel free to use these top 10 tips to building a great CV.
Ten Top Tips For Writing A Great CV.
1. Remember the purpose of CV writing
When CV writing, the main thing to remember is the purpose for which the CV is intended. It is the first point of contact between you and a prospective new employer. It is all he knows about you so it is essential that your CV writing style gives the right first impression.
2. Make sure it gives a good first impression
When you use your CV in support of an application for a job it will usually arrive along with a number of others. The person reading it will only allow a very short time for an initial appraisal of each candidate. You may be ideal for the job, but you will have lost your opportunity to prove it if you do not make a good first impression with your CV.
3. Not too much detail
If the layout of the CV is not attractive, or there are long paragraphs of prose, the employer could discard your CV at first glance. You need to impart the maximum information with the minimum effort on the part of the reader. The most common mistake people make when CV writing is to include too much detail.
4. Prioritise information
Although it can be a daunting task you must prioritise information and keep it to a minimum. When CVwriting, always remember that ‘less is more’. Your CV writing will have far more impact if you include less information but make sure that it is all totally relevant.
5. No repetition
Be careful that you don’t repeat information. After you have completed the CV writing, go through the document and strike any unnecessary adjectives or repetitions. You will undoubtedly be very surprised how much it is improved and streamlined.
6. Use bulleted lists
There is no doubt that in CV writing bulleted lists are much better than paragraphs of prose. However you should still remember that you are delivering an important message which needs to have impact. Don’t make each point too complete and don’t include too many points in your list.
7. Remember it is a marketing document
It is important to remember that a CV is essentially a marketing document for use in a very competitive field. It needs to be written in a format which will be pleasing to the eye and impart information in a very clear and concise way.
8. Use an objective approach
It is a sad fact that the prospective employer is not actually interested in you as a person, only in what you can bring to his organisation. The approach to CV writing needs to be objective and viewed from the perspective of the reader. You need to demonstrate the skills and competencies you have to offer
9. Demonstrate what you have to offer
Your CV is all that a prospective employer knows about you so if you are to succeed it is important that you make sure that he can understand exactly what you have to offer. Your CV writing style needs to demonstrate why he should employ you in particular, rather than one of the many other candidates for the job.
10. Identify your market
The trick in writing an effective CV is to identify your target market and then demonstrate that you have the skills and competencies that they are looking for. Look carefully at the job advertisement and see what the prospective employer is actually seeking. You can then ensure that your CV writing style is relevant, concise and very clear