How to Get Your CV Right
Career

How to Get Your CV Right

Finding a new job requires a large amount of time and dedication, we spend a lot of our time at work so securing a job carrying out important tasks that you enjoy alongside people that you like collaborating with at a salary that fits with your lifestyle is important. Then we must consider the commute, the hours, the benefits, the industry and prospects, the list goes on.

October 7th, 2020
*

Abby.

Founder

A search expert making key hires for over twenty years.

How do I stand out in a sea of applications?

Finding a new job requires a large amount of time and dedication as does writing a CV that stands out. We spend a lot of our time at work, so securing a job carrying out important tasks that you enjoy, alongside people that you like collaborating with at a salary that fits with your lifestyle is important. Then we must consider the commute, hours, benefits, industry and prospects, the list goes on.

 

Finding a new role

When you spot a new role pop up online, it’s easy to get carried away and let that trigger finger click the apply button without giving much thought. You may question why you have not heard anything back despite clicking the apply button thirty times already this week.

How to write a CV and understanding what a CV should look like is an important part of being considered for a job. Spend some time to get it right, your future self will thank you.

 

Our CV Tips

Here’s what you should consider before clicking the apply button:

  • Does my CV tell the reader that I match the skills required in the job description?
  • Can I get to the location of the job? We might be working from home now but it might not be forever.
  • Do the working hours fit with my life?
  • Is the salary agreeable, if it’s not listed could you mention your required package value?
  • Do I have any unexplained gaps on my CV?
  • Do I have industry knowledge relating to this role, could I include this?
  • Does my profile text demonstrate that this is the job I am looking for?
  • If academic qualifications are required, does my CV or resume clearly show I have these?
  • Have I listed out all of the software I can use well?
  • Is my CV easy to read, have I used bullet points?
  • Have I removed jargon words that only readers from that company would understand?
  • Am I slightly overqualified or under-qualified, have I acknowledged this?
  • In the about me, area have I mentioned something I have achieved, actually like doing or just generic hobbies?

 

When receiving a CV application for a specific job role, the recruiter could be tasked to shortlist the CVs with the most relevant experience, aspirations, location, salary reach, or consistency. When reading your CV back, could your career history mean you are misunderstood? If so, face it head-on and explain what happened, it really could be the difference between getting an interview or a rejection.

To find out more about how to focus on your brand, get in touch today.
Want to hear about our other articles?
Looking to hire your next superstar?
Keen to explore our latest vacancies?
Yellow Bricks is a female-owned and led executive search firm hiring predominately for software companies with diversity and inclusion at the heart of our offering. To learn more, click here.
Related posts
Managing the School Holidays as a Working Parent

Managing the School Holidays as a Working Parent

When it comes to planning for school holidays, working parents and guardians face the huge task of making arrangements for their little people and deciding how they will go about managing the school holidays. This can be quite a stressful time, causing families to feel often guilty about not being around all of the time. […]
5 Ways of Managing Stress as a Leader

5 Ways of Managing Stress as a Leader

As a leader, your people will look to you for guidance in times of challenge and uncertainty.   Trying to manage your team as well as yourself during these times can make you vulnerable to high stress that can become chronic if not dealt with properly.   Currently, 69% of executives are considering quitting due […]
6 Tips for Working In Hot Weather

6 Tips for Working In Hot Weather

As the UK declares a national heatwave emergency with temperatures set to exceed the record set in Cambridge in 2019 of 38.7 degrees, we provide some useful tips for getting through a day of work in the sweltering heat. With the huge rise in people working from home, access to industrial-sized, state-of-the-art air-con units for […]
Proposed UK Employment Law Changes and How Employers Can Prepare

Proposed UK Employment Law Changes and How Employers Can Prepare

Following their election in July of this year, the new UK government has pledged to deliver “the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation”.   A key part of this commitment is the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill, which is expected to be introduced by the end of October 2024. While these changes are not […]
5 ways women can level up their careers

5 ways women can level up their careers

As the leader of an independent search firm, I am continually inspired by the exceptional talent and determination of women across various industries. Their resilience and ambition are driving positive change and reshaping the professional landscape.   Recent data highlights the significant progress we are making towards gender equality:   The gender pay gap continues […]
5 Questions All Leaders Should Be Asking Their Teams

5 Questions All Leaders Should Be Asking Their Teams

70% of employees say their purpose is related to their work.   People who feel their work has purpose are often more satisfied with their professional lives and loyal to companies who advocate for their own lives and careers.   They are 69% less likely to plan to quit their jobs within the next 6 […]
3 Business Leadership Skills You Need to Hire in 2024

3 Business Leadership Skills You Need to Hire in 2024

In the fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape of 2024, hiring the right leader is critical to organizational success.   As Deloitte found, businesses with a culture led by great leaders were 12 times more likely to have high business performance.   But you’ve got to know what to hire! And that can be difficult to […]
Employment Law Reforms

Employment Law Reforms

Labour’s ‘once-in-a-generation’ reform will affect sick pay, maternity pay and rules around unfair dismissal. Under sweeping new laws, more than seven million people will gain the right to claim sick pay, ­maternity pay, and protection against unfair ­dismissal from their first day on the job. As a UK Recruitment and Staffing expert, our founder, Abby […]
First Interview Tips: 7 Simple Strategies for Success

First Interview Tips: 7 Simple Strategies for Success

Ace Your First Interview: 7 Proven Tips That Get Results! Improve your Interview Style, with these easy quick wins. Navigating the job interview process can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when it comes to that all-important first interview. It’s completely understandable to feel a mix of excitement and anxiety as you prepare to showcase your […]
Why Leaders Need to Foster a Learning Culture

Why Leaders Need to Foster a Learning Culture

The pandemic brought a transformation to the working world, and as we enter the age of AI, businesses need to act now to future-proof themselves.   Going forward, the growth in technology and workers’ re-evaluations of their working lives means that incorporating a learning culture needs to become a top priority for organisations to future-proof, […]

Join 2,500+ forward-thinking leaders.

People. Culture. Growth.
Unlock your leadership potential with our biweekly newsletter. No spam, only gold.