The Secret Formula for Writing CV’s that get you Interviews!

GradCareerDoc CV

goldenkey_123rfTired of sending out your CV and not getting an interview?

Or worst still, not getting a reply at all?

Well it may be because your CV is not catching the recruiter’s eye or you’ve made it too ‘generic’.

Curriculum vitae in Latin means ‘whole of life’ and that’s exactly what people put in their CV’s – everything!

These days it has to be ‘tailored’ to suit the role you are applying for and it’s easy once you follow these 5 steps.

  1. Print off the advert (or better still the Job Description/Person Spec) if they sent this to you. You can’t do this online so print it and grab a highlighter pen.
  2. What comes higher up in the job ad is the most ‘valuable’ to the company, so make sure you highlight these skills on your CV too and have them appear high up on your first page. Then look for personality traits and highlight those.  This will give you a feel for the type of person who will fit in well.
  3. Next look for any qualifications they see as ‘essential’ or ‘desirable’ and highlight those.
  4. Armed with this highlighted sheet you now need to tailor your CV to those specific needs. ‘Mirror and match’ things back like qualifications.  Mirror and match back more subtly other personality traits, i.e. if they are looking for a ‘person with drive” you could put that you are ‘tenacious’.  Use your key skills section to highlight these points so they appear high up on the first page of your CV.  Weave in everything they need into your CV so they think they are looking at the ‘perfect match’.
  5. When you’ve finished tailoring your CV, print off your front page and do the ’15 second WOW test’. Fold the bottom 1/3rd of your page under (backwards) and then read what’s on the top 2/3rd’s in 15 seconds.  Do you answer the brief?  Do you have the right skills, experience and qualities they are looking for?  Imagine yourself in the recruiter’s shoes reading your CV for the first time.  Because that’s all the time you get to make that 1st impression – 15 seconds!  And if you don’t look like you fit the bill you will go on the reject pile.  Trust me, I know – I was a that recruiter!

That’s exactly how it’s done.  We have a list of qualities we are looking for and your CV needs to show you have what we need.

Now can you see how a ‘generic’ CV would just get put on the reject pile and how some other candidate who tailored their CV would get the edge over you?

If you want to run your CV past me and get a FREE CV REVIEW, I’m happy to do that, with no obligation.  My reports are legendary for turning negative CV’s into positive ones that open doors to interview!