In recent years the employee has had the upper hand in the job market. We witnessed this in trends like The Great Resignation and quiet quitting, as people felt they could demand more from employers during talent shortages. However, stories of layoffs and hiring freezes have dominated recent news and suggest that the balance is shifting.
Rising interest rates and the threat of a recession both make staff cut backs more likely. According to Resume Builder, ‘1 in 3 companies anticipate laying off 30% or more of workforce in 2023.’ It therefore seems likely that those seeking a new job in 2023 will need to try harder to impress recruiters. Creating a CV to help you stand out from the competition is a great place to start.
How to Craft a Distinctive, Modern CV
Here’s how to craft a CV where every word packs an impact. Don’t worry if you haven’t updated your CV in while, we’ve covered the latest standards in formatting, as well as key trends, to ensure your resume has an up-to-the-minute feel.
Here are our 5 Key Tips to creating the Perfect CV.
- Get the WOW factor
When faced with high competition for roles, it’s important to collect information for your CV that will help you jump out from the pile. Imagine that all candidates have the required skills and qualifications. Creating the wow factor is about identifying what can you offer that will make you stand out.
Start by jotting down your achievements specific to the role. These must be things you accomplished that went beyond the responsibilities and requirements. They could be awards, extra training, qualifications, or wins you brought to your company or team.
Place your most impressive relevant achievement at the start of your CV, in your profile or career summary section. This will hook the recruiter’s attention. Make sure you have one stand-out accomplishment in each section, (such as work experience and training.) This encourages the recruiter to keep on reading and makes the impression that you are an effective employee.
- Use active, dynamic language
Language choices are also an important technique for maintaining the recruiters interest. Using tried and tested resume words makes your CV bland and devoid of meaning. Phrases like ‘duties included’ and ‘responsible for’ don’t do much to grab the reader’s attention.
Read through your work experience and cut out any words which are dull, over-used or too formal. Replace them with action verbs (careers website The Muse has a great list.)
See how much impact just changing the language you use can have:
Responsible for team training through virtual learning during COVID.
or
Increased the take-up of training in the team by 80% by implementing online learning during COVID.
- Format to focus on facts
Using a simple format for that focuses on results will ensure your CV gets read by both recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems.
Reduce your work experience section into two or three key achievements that you made for each employer. Use an active verb to start and get straight to the point. Write no more than two sentences for each. Focus on what you did, how it changed things, and what the results were. Try to back each up with facts and statistics, such as a percentage increase in sales.
Recruiters will see instantly that you are an employee who delivers real results.
- Optimise for keywords
Making your resume ATS friendly is increasingly important. A survey by Kelly (reported by Jobscan) estimated that ‘66% of large companies and 35% of small organizations rely on Application Tracking Systems (ATS) to help them identify quality resumes during the hiring process.’
Adding the right keywords to your resume is essential to get it selected by the ATS.
Do this by highlighting all the keywords from the job description. Pick out any specific software, education, certifications, and skills mentioned and check that you’ve used these in a natural way throughout your CV. To be certain that your skills don’t get overlooked, it’s often better to write out acronyms in full. For example, instead of BDM write out Business Development Manager in full. Pepper these throughout your application to help both recruiters and robots determine that you’re a good fit for the job.
ATS bots also get confused by fancy layouts, so remember to keep your formatting simple. Avoid columns, use bold to draw attention to headings and stick to everyday fonts like Arial or Calibri.
- Convey your passion
Employee engagement has become a hot topic over the recent years. Research shows engaged employees offer business benefits such as increased customer satisfaction and lower staff turnover. It’s no wonder then that employers want candidates who are genuinely passionate about their vocation.
You can convey your passion for the role you are applying for on your CV in a variety of ways.
Start by doing some research into the industry and company you are applying to.
What are the challenges and objectives the company is facing at the moment? Can you give an example of how you helped a previous employer overcome a similar obstacle?
Look at key developments and in-demand skills in your industry. Have you undertaken any training to keep up-to-date or could you sign-up for an online course to evidence your interest in a relevant skill? Is there a professional body for your industry you could become a member of?
Your interests outside work are also worth mentioning if they’re relevant to your application. For example, if both you and the company you’re applying to are concerned about the environment, highlighting action you’ve taken to make a difference will earn you extra points.
Improving your CV in these 5 ways will increase your chances of selection for interview. Once you’ve finished, get a friend to proofread. It’s easy to overlook your own spelling or grammar errors and these could get you disqualified. Don’t risk this after all your hard work!
Next steps
Creating a stand-out CV will definitely help you succeed. But when there’s high competition, job hunting can be time-consuming and tough.
Our experts at Wireless Mobile International search have built an exemplary reputation in the telecoms industry for matching management roles to ideal candidates. Contact us today and let us help you find your next ideal role.
