In the UK alone employers receive an average of 60 applicants for every advertisement of a low-skilled job and around 20-30 applicants for every high-skilled job – and this reinforces why your CV should stand above the rest for the highest chance of success.

Most applicants to these jobs are actually qualified, in fact, the CIPD (chartered institute of personnel and development) claim that over 50% of applicants for all roles advertised for are in fact qualified but that a large majority fall down with poor CV’s.

There are of course some ‘golden rules’ when it comes to writing a superb CV – not least ensuring that your CV is punctuated and that spelling is checked for inaccuracies. Employers openly admit to being ‘grammar Nazis’ when it comes to punctuation and spelling – and this is just the beginning of what you need to ensure your CV stands out amongst others.

If you’re sending a CV as a hard copy, along with a job application, then it should be neat (typed if possible). If you don’t own a computer to do this, then most libraries allow access to their computers for use – or internet cafes.

Technology has advanced, so has expectations of CV’s

In this digital age, most employers will ask for a digitalised CV, so ensuring you have a digitalised version of your CV is almost quintessential. Digitalised CV’s are also great for potential employers to pick up your CV from job boards, classified ads and the like.

CVs should be in a simple format with a unified font so that readability isn’t impaired on varying screens and devices – you’ll want to make life as easy as possible for any potential employer wanting to read through your CV.

Some key tips

Here are a few key tips to keep in mind when putting together your CV:

Tailor your CV to a specific job role you’re applying for

When applying for a job, make sure your CV is amended and geared toward the job your applying for. Too often are employers sent generic CVs which makes it harder for them to ascertain your suitability for a specific job role. Have a family member, friend or professional read through your CV for feedback.

Use a CV writing service

If you don’t feel like you’re up to writing your own CV then adopting a CV writing service may be for you. A professional CV writer can ensure to really portray and embolden your skill set for a specific job application and thus can boost your chances of hearing back from a prospective employer. Most writing services are fairly prices and if you can achieve getting that dream job by utilising third party services – then why not?

Keep things simple

Too many times employers will see masses of irrelevant content on CVs which can easily put them off – and this is a serious problem. Try keeping your CV to the point, remember, you need to encapsulate and sell yourself to the prospective employer – rambling will only make them lose interest.

Include your KEY information

Include all of your key information that a prospect employer will need including personal details, name, address, phone number, email and any professional social media accounts that you have. It’s very important to emphasise the professional part here, we won’t want employers seeing what you did on the weekend out with your friends – that is not going to be useful for your employer – only damming!

Showcase your career achievements & personal ones

Offer insight into what you’ve done in your career. Highlight successes, awards, certifications and various other accolades. This can be very appealing to a prospective employer and can be a great talking point at interview stage.

Finally, check, check and check again

Once you’ve put together a CV to be proud of – check it. Check it over a good few times to ensure that you haven’t missed anything and that the information contained is relevant for the job you’re applying too. Also check over spelling and punctuation – most word processors come with spell check which can be invaluable here.

Good Luck!