5 Ways to Make the Employers Fall In Love with Your CV!

“I have read in many articles that for a CV to make the cut, it needs to impress the employers, grab their attention and make them fall in love with your CV. But how do I go about it?”

“After applying for many jobs without getting feedback, does it mean that the employers didn’t fall in love with my CV?”

These were a few questions I received from our followers after we had posted an article in regards to a CV. To respond effectively, I consulted Mercy, one of the career advisors to understand how one can make employers fall in love with a CV. “When you are applying for any job, you aim at making the right impression and put your best foot forward. It is however important to understand that while your CV may look good on paper, not every employer will love how you have presented it”

Making employers fall in love with your CV literary means you make the first impression that makes you stand out. Since they spend little time scanning through your CV, you need to craft a professional CV that will make the employers’ hearts flutter right away.

Here are a few tips that Mercy gave me;

1. Make It Appealing To The Eye

I had a lengthy conversation with Grace, a recruitment manager at CSS and she said “Many job seekers fail to secure an interview not because they don’t have the required skills and experience but because their CVs don’t reflect who they are. From the way a CV is structured, it speaks volumes and it that you have what we are looking for”

Appearance in a CV matters a lot and before you send it, ensure that it is easy to read to help the employer quickly locate relevant information that will prompt them to invite you for the interview.

2. Include A Combination of Hard and Soft Skills

Just like any other person looking for a serious commitment, employers look for a well-rounded person hence in a highly technical role, soft skills count.

The best place to show it on your CV is in your career profile and skills section. Some employers give pre-employment tests to see if your skills match the requirements and they test other skills during the interview.

3. Leave Other Things For Cover Letter

Take your CV as the only snapshot that will make you an attractive candidate. You may not tell your whole story on the first date and this is the same case when applying for a job, it is not necessary to include everything on your CV. Many employers prefer a well-written CV that saves their time and you can do this by trimming it down to essentials.

“I have seen candidates who explain irrelevant information on their CVs. Some information can be left for the interview or be explained on cover letter because they make your CV very long and employers will overlook it” explained Mercy.

4. Be Honest

Mercy mentioned that some candidates lie on their CVs but when the employers finds out during the interview, they find themselves in trouble.

We all value honesty and when you are fighting for the attention of the employer, it is tempting to pretend to be the person that they want. Lying to yourself to make yourself more impressive is dangerous because unverifiable information can be debunked during background checks and it will lead to rejection.

5. Demonstrate How Your Achievements Contributed To Success

“Bullet points with quantifiable results will catch my attention quicker than anything,” added Grace.

Normalize providing the facts instead of explaining how best you were in your previous roles. Simply saying you’re a perfect match and highlighting specific achievements might not cut through if you don’t show using the facts, and figures. 

Finally

Writing a CV that makes the cut impresses employers and makes them want to invite you for an interview to learn more about you.

If you have a challenge creating a CV that will be loved and noticed by employers, our CV professionals got your back!