7 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Send Your CV

By Ruoro Kairu

Have you just seen the job of your dreams and need to apply for it? Great! But before you can actually hit send on your application, you need to ensure your CV has the desired effect. Even if you’re rightly qualified for a position, you could get passed over when the employer is shortlisting.

When employers and hiring managers are going through applications, they are looking to find a high impact CV that will lead them to the right candidates.

Here are seven questions to ask yourself before you send your CV;

Does it have a professional appeal?

Your CV is the first point of contact the recruiter has with you. It is important to ensure your CV is professional upon first glance. This means ensuring there are no spelling or grammar mistakes, no typos, and essentially get rid of anything that could paint you as a negative applicant.

Is it easy to read?

Recruiters do not read every word on your CV –at least not through the shortlisting process. When writing your CV, you should clearly segment the different areas of the CV and use bold heading and bullet points to highlight your strong points.

Does it match the job application?

When applying for many jobs, you might get tempted to make your CV as general as possible. However, this will lower your chances of getting an interview as recruiters can easily notice a generic article. While drafting your CV, ensure you tailor it to the job you’re applying for.

Have you included the right numbers?

Use numbers and figures to highlight your value and competency for the job applied to. Instead of just listing out your achievements, include the numbers. For instance, if you’ve been in a management position, include the number of people managed, projects completed, size of clientele managed and the like.

Are your previous roles well structured?

As a recruiter is scanning through your CV, they will take a quick glance at your previous experience. If your former roles aren’t clearly indicated, they could label you as an unqualified candidate. Have a brief introductory paragraph to roles you have held in the past, and the achievements accomplished.

Does it create an impact upon first glance?

When the employer opens your CV, you have about half a minute to impress them. If your CV is filled with irrelevant information and clutter, the recruiting officer will move on to the next applicant. Retain the recruiter’s attention by using relevant keywords and experience and placing them correctly.

Is your contact information easy to see?

One of our recruiters had a hard time contacting an applicant who had three numbers listed as their contact information. Two of the numbers were dysfunctional and the third one was unreachable. Needless to say, the recruiting agent did not waste her time trying to reach this candidate, she moved on to the next qualified applicant.

Ensure your contact information is openly displayed and all the numbers and emails are correct and up to date.

A professional CV will determine if the recruiting agent calls you in for an interview or not. To ensure your application will create the intended impact, you can have our professional CV writers go through your current CV draft and offer a free review. Email us today for the free review.