I want your CV to stand out from the crowd

A great deal of talent is lost during the recruitment process due to poor CV presentation.

It is a hard reality. Employers scan applications and make an instant decision if they are interested or not.

Some excellent candidates are rejected in a blink of an eye.

It is a bit of paradox. You must have heard of students who were excelling during the academic year only to perform poorly on the exams. Would you discredit their knowledge based on just one assessment?

Recruitment agencies and employers reject good candidates

Follow these ground rules of CV craftsmanship to secure a job interview

Every person is unique and so should be the CV. The reality is different though. Most of the job applications are similar in format and content. Still surprised no one invited you for the interview?

Your CV is the advertisement of yourself. Your initial sales pitch. Make it count.

1. Don’t state the obvious

I am pretty familiar with the scope of responsibilities of a quality engineer, quality controller or quality manager when I post the job advert. It’s is highly unlikely that I will employ a baker to perform quality control of precision engineered parts.

What I am looking for is the value to my business. I am looking for the contribution to my bottom line.

Impress me with your achievements – try this simple formula

• I have achieved [………]by [………]
• Number of complaints reduced by […]% due to my implementation of [………]
• I have improved [………] by [………]
• Value of compensations from suppliers has grown by […] through [………]
• I have led [………] the resulted in [………]

2. Say”I”

The CV is all about you and what you can bring to the table. Some say that it’s better to write using the third person. Let me tell you that it’s just blunt and dull.

TIP – during the interview there is a strong temptation to answers questions with “We”, “Our team” etc. I would have invited your team if I wanted to hear about the group effort, wouldn’t I? Tell me how you led, contributed etc.

3. Avoid adding “last minute” training

If you have just completed a recognised training than by all means add it to your CV. Make sure it’s relevant to the position you are applying for.

However, if you have just passed a $99.99 Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification than save yourself an embarrassment and leave it out of the resume.

Your level of competence in a subject matter will be verified during the interview.

TIP – self-development is essential. You can take some benefit even from “cheap” training, but it might be better to keep it out of the CV.

4. Always add a cover letter

Many recruitment agencies do not require a cover letter at the first stage. However, they take notes during the interview which, if you are successful are sent together with your CV to the employer.

Always insist that your cover letter is sent together with the CV. It will not hurt your application and may help.

Well prepared cover letter will look better than a stack of notes sent by the recruiter

5. Include only relevant information

“My hobby is hiking and watching good movies”. How on earth is that going to help with your application? Unless you have climbed a Mont Blanc, it is probably better to skip this part.

Does car specification list “four wheels” as a feature? Exactly.

Remember that your CV should be well structured and easy to read. If you want to add an extra piece of information think of something that will help you stand out from the crowd.

What are your best tips on writing effective CVs?

Share your thoughts in the comments box below.