What do employers and recruiters look for in a CV?

You only have one chance to make a good impression. In most cases, your CV is the first thing an employer or recruiter sees, so it needs to hit the right mark. Too much waffle or too little relevant information is likely to see your CV discarded. This is your chance to sell yourself and secure the job you want, so don’t waste it. Here are some valuable tips for CV writing – ignore them at your peril.

Keep It Snappy

Employers and recruiters don’t have time to waste. More often than not, they are deluged with hundreds of CVs from hopeful applicants, so each one is only given a quick read to determine whether the candidate is suitable for an interview. Keep your CV short and sweet. Where possible, stick to one side of A4 paper. You can easily do this if you use bullet points and avoid waffle.

Use Simple Formatting

Avoid using a fancy font when writing a CV. Arial 10pt is a good choice, as this should give you ample opportunity to fit essential information on one page. Bullet point key facts and present information such as qualifications in a table format, as it’s easier to read.

Begin with a Profile

The first section of your CV should include a brief ‘about me’ profile of you, your main achievements, and why you are right for the position. Capitalise your name; if you are looking for work through a recruitment platform like WorkAdvisor, it will remind the recruiter who you are and makes it easier to find your CV in a pile of similar documents.

Write a Tailored CV

Study the job description carefully and tailor your CV to the brief. Obviously you should never include experience you don’t actually have, but you can – and should – use keywords to emphasise that your previous experience is a good match for the type of candidate they are looking for. For example, if they emphasise great customer service, highlight this in your achievements. Conversely, minimise or edit out previous experience that isn’t relevant to the role.

Quantify Your Achievements

Don't tell, show. It isn’t enough to say “I am great at customer service”. You need to show the employer how you are great at customer service or sales. For example, let them know you won a ‘Great Service’ award several times, or you were the top performing sales person for X months. Even better, show how you made a monetary difference to the company, e.g. you implemented a new process to help reduce customer complaints, which improved brand reputation and customer goodwill.

Blow Your Own Trumpet

Don’t be shy about listing your achievements, as long as they are relevant to the job. Even better, mention your best achievement in the profile section, as this will attract attention and encourage the recruiter to read the rest of your CV in greater detail.

Lastly, never type CV or Resume at the top of a CV. It states the obvious, looks old-fashioned and unprofessional. Instead, begin with your name and your contact details. That’s all you need.