Can a Good CV Help to Secure Employment?

The job market is tougher than ever before. For every one job that is advertised hundreds, if not thousands, of candidates apply for it which means candidates are faced with large obstacles when it comes to securing a job. Not only does a candidate have to put effort into creating a strong CV and cover letter, but they now have to go the extra mile in order to make their application stand out from the rest.

So as many employers see hundreds of CVs every week – is creating a good CV still important for a candidate looking to secure employment? The answer undoubtedly has to be yes. Whilst employers do take into consideration other factors when hiring someone (social media and interview technique are just a couple of examples) a CV is the first impression an employer has of a candidate. So quite simply, if it’s not a good impression, it’s unlikely the employer will invite the candidate for a face-to-face interview.

But with so many things to consider when writing a CV – what actually makes a good one? Firstly creating a CV that is bespoke to the job they are applying for is one of the first things a candidate should aim to do. Creating a CV that is personalised to both the job description and the company will help it to stand out from the rest. The first section to focus on is the work experience section as it’s usually the first section an employer will navigate to. Most employers require some sort of previous experience so understandably this is the first section they will look at. If the job roles and responsibilities are vastly different to the role they are hiring for or they can’t see relevant experience then it’s unlikely the employer will continue reading. To grab an employer’s attention at this stage all a candidate has to do is highlight previous roles that are similar – including key responsibilities and achievements that the employer will be able to relate to. This should certainly encourage an interviewer to want to find out more about a candidate.

As well as concentrating on the work experience section of a CV, candidates should also update the qualifications section. Many employers look for specific qualifications or desirable ones, and if they can see on a CV that the candidate has the relevant grades then they are more likely to invite them to a job interview.

The key skills section is also crucial. On average an employer will look at a CV for up to thirty seconds before deciding whether to continue reading so grabbing their attention quickly is more important than ever. If a candidate can display their key skills in bullet points, the employer will be able to navigate to them quickly which could improve the candidate’s chances of being invited to a job interview.

Concentrating on CV content is crucial but concentrating on CV design is just as crucial. Many candidates forget this stage of the CV writing process and by not spending enough time on the design of a CV, a candidate will definitely hinder their employment chances. With so many CVs to look through employers will usually only remember the ones that stand out and having a different design and layout can definitely help a candidate make their CV different to the rest. To beat competition candidates should look at CV templates to get an idea of design and layout and by editing the look of their CV they may find their employment opportunities improving.

Can a Good CV Help to Secure Employment?