Tidy up your CV it jobs

Tidy up your CV

6 Look around for inspiration. Talk to recruiters in your sector to establish what they consider to be an above-average CV. If you can afford it, consider asking a CV-writing agency to help you, "but only one that comes recommended by someone in your network," suggests Rowan Manahan, author of Ultimate CV: Trade Secrets from a Recruitment Insider. "As always, there's a bell curve of skill and you can spend a lot of money to very little effect if you hire the wrong wordsmith."
7 Create your own marketing pack. Spending a little extra on good quality materials can really make your application stand out. "Choose a high quality paper with matching envelopes," says James Innes, author of The CV Book, The Interview Book and Brilliant Cover Letters. "A co-ordinated image can really impress; it's a small investment which could pay dividends."
8 … but don't go over the top. Applying too much bling, such as bright colours or whizzy picture effects, will just make employers fall over, as opposed to falling over themselves to hire you. "Glitz and razzamatazz won't help you be taken seriously," advises Rebecca Corfield, author of Knockout Job Presentations. "Be unforgettable for the right reasons. Impact comes from strong words, having a clear and logical layout, and detail about what makes you special."
Tidy your CV before you send it off. Photograph: Nils Jorgensen/Rex Features 9 Have some trusted friends give you feedback. "When you've been tinkering with your CV for hours it's easy to miss glaring typos, so make sure someone else has seen it," says de Grunwald. "The best people to canvass are those already working in your chosen industry. Ask, 'If you were me, what would you change?' Be prepared for a variety of responses. It's a myth that there's a perfect CV – it's surprisingly subjective."
10 Include a cover letter. "According to a recent survey, cover letters are seen by almost 50% of recruiters as being equally as important as the CV itself," says Innes. "Many people lose out not because of their CV but because of their cover letter – or lack of one."
Create a template cover letter and modify it to suit your needs. Including one allows a little more of your personality to shine through, and an extra platform on which to sell your skills.
11 Consider a video CV if you are in a technical field, but be careful – it's easy to do this very badly. Manahan recommends putting one online, using professional makeup and lighting. "Produce a 30-second, a 90-second and a five-minute piece for your channel," he says. "Make sure that channel – on YouTube or Vimeo – reflects the professional image you are seeking to cast and track viewing stats very closely to assess if your approach is working."
12 Customise your CV. "Put yourself in the shoes of each recruiter and make sure you've emphasised the bits they'll be most interested in," says de Grunwald. "Don't use jargon they won't understand and if your former employers aren't well-known, explain briefly the nature of each, before detailing what you did there."