How to write a CV [Get noticed by employers]

Summary

This video guide offers a comprehensive strategy for crafting a standout CV that impresses recruiters and secures job interviews. It covers essential research, structuring, formatting, and content tips, emphasizing the importance of hard skills and a professional appearance. The guide also advises on how to detail work experience and education effectively, and when to include hobbies and interests. It aims to help job seekers make a strong first impression and land their dream jobs.

Takeaways

• 📄 A strong CV is crucial as it creates the first impression on employers during job hunting.
• 🔍 Research target roles by reviewing job adverts to identify common candidate requirements and skills in demand.
• 💼 Focus on hard skills such as industry-specific knowledge, IT systems, languages, and qualifications rather than soft skills for the CV.
• 📝 Structure your CV to please recruiters, ensuring it is professional, easy to navigate, and concise to hold recruiters' attention.
• 🖋 Use a clean, crisp font and a simple color scheme for your CV to maintain a professional outlook.
• 📑 Keep the CV length to two pages of A4 to ensure it is comprehensive yet not overwhelming.
• 🔑 Include only essential contact details at the top of the CV, avoiding personal information that is irrelevant to hiring decisions.
• 📝 Craft a compelling CV profile or personal statement that summarizes your abilities and catches recruiters' attention.
• 📋 List your most relevant skills in a bullet-point format to provide a quick snapshot of your qualifications.
• 🗓 Present your work experience in reverse chronological order, focusing on recent roles and detailing achievements with quantifiable results.
• 🎓 Place your education section towards the bottom of the CV, with details tailored to your experience level.
• 🎨 Hobbies and interests are optional and should only be included if they add value or are relevant to the target roles.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of a CV when job hunting?

A CV serves as the first impression for employers and is crucial in making a strong impact to get noticed by recruiters and land job interviews.

Why is researching target roles important before writing a CV?

Researching target roles helps identify the skills and knowledge employers are seeking, allowing the job seeker to tailor their CV to impress potential employers.

What should be the focus when listing candidate requirements from job adverts?

The focus should be on hard skills such as industry-specific skills, IT system knowledge, languages, and qualifications, as soft skills are generally applicable to most jobs.

How should the structure and format of a CV contribute to its overall outlook?

The structure and format should make the CV look flawlessly professional, easy to navigate, and enable recruiters to quickly find the necessary information.

What is the recommended length for a CV and why?

A CV should ideally be two pages of A4, as this is usually enough to convey one's story without overwhelming the reader, considering recruiters often review hundreds of CVs daily.

Why should a CV avoid fancy fonts and wacky color schemes?

Fancy fonts and color schemes can make a CV look unprofessional and difficult to read, detracting from the clarity and professionalism expected in a job application.

What should be included in the contact details section of a CV?

The contact details should include a professional email address, phone number, and location, while avoiding personal information like full address, date of birth, marital status, or a photo.

What is the purpose of the CV profile or personal statement?

The CV profile or personal statement is an introductory paragraph that summarizes the candidate's skills, experience, and knowledge to catch the recruiter's attention and encourage them to read the rest of the CV.

How should work experience be presented in a CV?

Work experience should be listed in reverse chronological order, with more detail for recent roles and less for older ones, focusing on responsibilities and achievements that demonstrate the candidate's skills and impact.

What is the role of the education section in a CV?

The education section lists all relevant qualifications with dates obtained, providing a summary of the candidate's academic background, with more depth for junior candidates.

When should hobbies and interests be included in a CV?

Hobbies and interests should be included only if they are relevant to the target roles or showcase impressive achievements that demonstrate drive and can help the candidate stand out.

Outlines

00:00

📄 Crafting a Compelling CV

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of a strong CV as the first impression in job hunting. The video guide promises to assist viewers in creating a CV that will catch the attention of recruiters and lead to job interviews. It introduces the concept of researching target roles to identify required skills and knowledge, focusing on hard skills over soft skills. The paragraph also outlines the basics of CV structure and formatting, including using a word processing program, maintaining a professional font and color scheme, and keeping the CV concise, ideally to two pages. It advises against including personal information not relevant to the job application.

05:00

🔍 Structuring and Detailing Your CV

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of CV structuring, starting with the placement of contact details and a professional title at the top. It highlights the significance of a CV profile or personal statement as an introductory summary of skills and experience. The paragraph advises on creating a bullet-pointed list of core skills and tailoring them to target roles. It also explains how to detail work experience in reverse chronological order, emphasizing recent roles and achievements that demonstrate the candidate's impact. The paragraph touches on the inclusion of education and optional hobbies and interests, suggesting that they should be relevant and add value to the application.

10:02

👍 Enhancing Your CV with Achievements

The final paragraph wraps up the video guide by encouraging viewers to save and revisit the video while crafting their CV. It invites viewers to engage with the channel by liking the video and subscribing for more content. The paragraph also opens the floor for viewers to request further advice or tips on job hunting in the comments section, promising to create more helpful videos based on audience feedback. It concludes with well-wishes for the viewers' job search journey.

Keywords

💡CV

A CV, or curriculum vitae, is a comprehensive document used by individuals to present their academic and professional backgrounds when applying for jobs. In the video's context, a strong CV is described as a 'gateway to success' and the first impression for employers, emphasizing its importance in the job-hunting process. The script provides guidance on how to write a winning CV that will get noticed by recruiters and employers.

💡Impress

To 'impress' in the context of the video refers to making a strong, positive impact on potential employers through one's CV. The script advises job seekers to ensure their CV impresses by highlighting relevant skills and experiences, which is crucial for landing interviews and ultimately, job offers.

💡Recruiters

Recruiters are professionals who seek out, screen, and refer potential job candidates to employers. The video's theme revolves around creating a CV that appeals to recruiters and helps job seekers stand out among numerous applicants. It suggests structuring and formatting the CV in a way that is easy for recruiters to navigate and find the necessary information.

💡Research

The script emphasizes the importance of 'research' before writing a CV. Job seekers are advised to research target roles by browsing job adverts to identify the skills and knowledge employers are seeking. This research helps tailor the CV to meet the specific requirements of potential employers, thereby increasing the chances of getting noticed.

💡Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities that can be easily measured and are often required for a job. The video script distinguishes hard skills from soft skills, advising job seekers to focus on hard skills such as industry-specific knowledge, IT system proficiency, languages, and qualifications in their CVs to align with employer expectations.

💡Soft Skills

Soft skills are personal attributes that contribute to interpersonal relationships and are often transferable across various job roles. While the video acknowledges the value of soft skills like communication and problem-solving, it advises focusing on hard skills in the CV due to their specificity to certain job roles.

💡Structure

The 'structure' of a CV refers to the organization and order of information presented. The video script provides an overview of how to structure a CV to best please recruiters, including the placement of contact details, a profile, skills list, work experience, education, and optional hobbies and interests.

💡Format

The 'format' of a CV pertains to its visual presentation, including font, color scheme, and layout. The video script advises keeping the format simple, professional, and easy to read, with a preference for clean fonts and a basic color scheme to ensure the CV is accessible to busy recruiters.

💡Profile

A 'profile' or personal statement in a CV is a brief introductory paragraph that summarizes the candidate's abilities and aims to catch the recruiter's attention. The script suggests that this section should be concise, highlighting in-demand skills and experiences relevant to the target roles.

💡Work Experience

The 'work experience' section of a CV lists an individual's professional history, including roles, responsibilities, and achievements. The video script recommends listing work experience in reverse chronological order, focusing on recent roles to showcase current capabilities and providing details that demonstrate the application of skills and impact on previous employers.

💡Education

The 'education' section of a CV details an individual's academic qualifications, including degrees and certificates obtained. The video script advises placing this section towards the bottom of the CV and suggests that the level of detail provided can vary depending on the candidate's experience level.

💡Hobbies and Interests

The 'hobbies and interests' section is optional in a CV and should be included only if it adds value to the application. The video script suggests that while common interests may not impress, those related to the target roles or that demonstrate personal achievements can help candidates stand out.

Highlights

A strong CV is essential as the first impression for job hunting.

Standout CV has helped thousands land their dream jobs with effective CV advice.

Research target roles before writing a CV to understand what skills employers seek.

Focus on hard skills such as industry-specific skills, IT system knowledge, languages, and qualifications.

Soft skills are important but less specific to individual job roles.

Use a word processing program for a globally recognized CV format.

Keep the CV format simple with a clean font and basic color scheme.

Aim for a concise CV, typically two pages of A4 is sufficient.

Use bold headings to divide sections and aid recruiter navigation.

Place name and contact details at the top for easy access.

Include a professional title related to the roles you are applying for.

Avoid including personal details like full address, date of birth, or photos.

Write a compelling CV profile to summarize skills and catch recruiters' attention.

List core skills in bullet points for quick reading by recruiters.

Detail work experience in reverse chronological order, focusing on recent roles.

Quantify achievements with facts and figures to demonstrate value.

Include education details near the bottom, with more depth for junior candidates.

Hobbies and interests are optional and should be relevant to the job role.

Impressive personal achievements can demonstrate drive and make you stand out.

Engage with the channel for more CV advice and job hunting tips based on viewer suggestions.

Transcripts

a strong cv is your gateway to success

when job hunting

it's the very first impression that

employer will have of you so you need to

make sure it impresses

this video guide will show you how to

write a winning cv that will

get you noticed by recruiters and

employers and

land you plenty of job interviews

here at standout cv we've helped

hundreds of thousands of people to land

their dream jobs and hopefully the

advice in this video will do the same

for you

during the course of the video you will

learn

what research needs to be done before

you start writing your cv

how to structure your cv to best please

recruiters

how to format your cv for a professional

outlook

how to write a profile that will grab

recruiters attention

how to detail your work experience and

education

and if and how to include your hobbies

and interests

the biggest mistake that jobseekers make

is failing to research their target

roles before writing their cv

if you don't know what skills and

knowledge your potential employers are

looking for it will be difficult to

write a cv that impresses them so before

you start writing your cv you need to

hit the job boards and browse through

lots of relevant job adverts in your

industry

take note of the candidate requirements

that keep appearing and make a list of

them

focus on hard skills such as

industry specific skills

i t system knowledge

languages and qualifications

don't worry too much about soft skills

like communication teamwork and problem

solving

soft skills are great to have but they

are applicable to most jobs so you need

to focus on hard skills in your cv

once you have a list of the most in

demand skills and knowledge for your

target roles you know exactly what to

focus your cv around

this preparation will make the task of

writing it much easier for you

the structure and format of your cv will

define its overall outlook and determine

how the document will be read

your cv should look flawlessly

professional and should be easy for busy

recruiters to navigate and find the

information they need

firstly you should use a word processing

program like microsoft word or google

docs to create your cv

they are very easy to use and are the

globally recognized format for cvs

across all industries

here's an overview of how to format your

cv

keep the format simple by sticking to a

clean and crisp font that can be easily

read

the color scheme should also be basic

black text on white background is best

don't be tempted to use fancy fonts and

wacky color schemes in a bid to stand

out this will look unprofessional and

could make the cv difficult to read

there is no set in stone rule around cv

length but two pages of a4 is usually

enough to tell your story without boring

readers

just remember that recruiters and hiring

managers sometimes see hundreds of cvs a

day so try to keep it concise if you

want to hold their attention

use bold headings to divide the sections

of your cv this will help recruiters to

navigate it when skin reading

once you have a format for your cv you

need to structure it in a way that draws

attention to your most valuable skills

and creates a pleasant reading

experience

this is a brief overview of how to

structure your cv before we delve into

the details of each section

your name and contact details should sit

at the very top of your cv so that

recruiters can easily see how to contact

you

your cv profile or personal statement is

a brief introductory paragraph that

summarizes your abilities and aims to

grab recruiters attention when the cv is

first opened

a bullet pointed list of your most

relevant skills provides a snapshot of

your offerings as a candidate

your work experience should be listed in

reverse chronological order to showcase

your ability to apply your skills in the

workplace

your education should be listed near the

bottom of your cv

hobbies and interests are an optional

section and can be added to the bottom

of your cv if you think they will add

any value to your applications

now let's take a look at each section in

detail and how to write them

you don't want your contact details to

be missed so place them at the very top

of your cv underneath your name

you can also add a professional title

next to your name to really set the tone

of the cv anything from management

accountant to chemistry graduate

ideally it should relate to the roles

you are applying for

the only contact details you need to

include are

your email address just make sure it's a

professional looking one with no

nicknames

your phone number

and your location

you don't need to include

your full address

date of birth

marital status

or a photo of yourself

none of these things will have any

effect on a hiring decision and they

will waste valuable space

your cv profile or personal statement as

it's also known is the first proper

content section of your cv

it is an introductory paragraph which

summarizes your skills experience and

knowledge and its purpose is to catch

recruiters eyes when they open your cv

excite them and encourage them to read

the rest of your cv

it should give readers a nice overview

of your industry specific skills types

of companies you've worked for

qualifications and the benefits you

deliver for an employer

to write a successful cv profile you

should

keep it short and sharp somewhere

between five and ten lines

pack it with in-demand skills and

experience

and avoid using cliche terms like hard

working team player

underneath your profile add a bullet

pointed list of core skills your most

valuable attributes split over two or

three columns

keep the points under three words

ideally so that they jump off the page

and create a snapshot of your offerings

which can be digested in seconds by busy

recruiters and hiring managers

it's a great tool for making sure

readers stick to your cv and don't skip

past it

again these points should be heavily

tailored towards your target roles

including things like

role specific skills

qualifications

market or industry knowledge

languages

and i t skills

they can also be quickly edited if you

need to tweak the cv slightly when

applying for different roles

your work experience gives you a great

opportunity to demonstrate your ability

to apply your skills in the workplace

and prove the impact you make

your work experience should be listed in

reverse chronological order that's

latest to oldest with plenty of detail

in recent roles and less detail in older

roles

the reason for this is that employers

are more interested in your recent work

as it gives a better reflection of your

current capabilities

if you don't have any direct paid work

experience you can also add

voluntary roles

school or university work placements

part-time jobs

or any example where you have worked to

support a company or organization

when writing role descriptions within

your cv you need to ensure that you make

it easy for recruiters to read them and

process the information you are trying

to get across

this simple but effective structure is a

great way to do that

head each roll with the dates you are

employed name of the employer and your

role title

follow with an introductory line which

describes who the employer is where you

sit within the organization and what the

overall goal of the role is this builds

context for readers

then list your responsibilities in short

concise bullet points

try to showcase your full skill set and

demonstrate how your actions impact the

employer

most importantly try to round your roles

off with impressive achievements that

have made big positive impacts for your

employer

and try to quantify these achievements

with facts and figures where you can to

truly show how valuable you can be

good examples of achievements include

saving costs

generating revenue

saving time

improving processes

hitting targets

and helping customers

although there should be mentions of any

important qualifications in your profile

your full education section should be

placed near the bottom of your cv

it should simply be a list of all the

relevant qualifications you have along

with dates obtained

if you are an experienced candidate you

can keep the detail light here but if

you are a junior candidate then it will

be worth going into some more depth

hobbies and interests are an optional

section and it's entirely up to you

whether you include them or not

you should only include them if you feel

they will have a positive effect on your

applications

common interests such as eating out or

watching movies probably won't make a

big impression on anybody so leave them

out

however if you have interests that are

related to your target roles then it

would be beneficial to include them for

example you may be applying for writing

positions and you run your own personal

blog this will give you a chance to

showcase more relevant skills and

experience

it can also help to include impressive

achievements such as running a marathon

or raising money for charity

these types of achievements can show

that you are driven and help you to

stand out especially if you have limited

experience

that brings us to the end of this cv

video guide hopefully you found it

helpful

if you want to save this video to come

back and replay whilst you write your cv

don't forget to like the video and

subscribe to our channel

also if you want more cv advice or tips

on how to land your next job please

leave a comment telling us what help you

would like from us below the video

we will make more helpful job hunting

videos based on your suggestions

good luck with your job hunt