Any new tricks for CV's?

[Fat Audi 80]

Afternoon, I am reviewing and updating my CV again, which has remained in its current form for a few years now. Apart from trying to broaden my appeal to prospective employers with the layout and wording, are there any new tricks that I should / could be using?

For example I have completed a number of projects that have resulted in new product being brought to market. Is it acceptable to add weblinks to a CV that would pin point exactly what you have done? I know in reality the right web pages are hard to navigate to for an outsider?

Any other tips for a very up to date CV?

TIA

[NotConfused]

Target the CV for the job. If you're applying for 10 jobs, you'll need 10 CV's.

[Fat Audi 80]

NotConfused said:

Target the CV for the job. If you're applying for 10 jobs, you'll need 10 CV's.

I have started doing that now. It takes bloody ages though.

Thanks.

[Project C]

Video CVs are the in thing I had heard!

Edited by Project C on Saturday 16th April 15:09

[rog007]

Apparently telling the truth is all the rage now!

[Carrot]

rog007 said:

Apparently telling the truth is all the rage now!

Is it fk...

One of my friends who owns and runs a small art gallery business wanted to employ a junior salesperson.

Got loads of CV's, one of which said they were the "Top Art salesman in the whole UK" and "Repeated demonstrable examples of excellent salesmanship which has propelled my through my career"

This CV came from a 17 year old with no experience of work - not even a paper round

[Zad]

Based on the CVs I have been getting (unsolicited), I have some tips:

• Get someone you know and trust to read it through for spelling errors.
• 2 sides of A4 should be enough, it helps you to focus on what you can leave out.
• Don't write a personal statement if you are just going to list buzz words.
• Don't list the result for every exam you ever did.

If you have photographs of your work (if relevant) then consider having them in an online gallery somewhere, and include the URL in your covering letter.

[renrut]

Not sure if its applicable for your line of work but if its an engineering / technical type of role get all the applicable buzzwords/acronyms/abbreviations in there. HR and recruiter types are usually clueless as to what the technical buzzwords mean and just work off a list of buzzwords to match to a CV for a potential candidate. Additionally if its via job sites like Monster or Totaljobs, they're not even read by people, they're scanned for select words and then they contact those people individually. If this is the case you won't even get a look in without the right words.

Feel free to stretch the truth a little as long as you can back it up, e.g. I did some programming at uni over a decade ago so added all the programming languages used to my CV. I wasn't even applying for programming jobs and not a single interviewer ever asked or came close to touching on the subject of programming yet it was the first thing the recruiters asked about on the phone. It works to get your foot in the door ahead of someone else, it won't get you the job if you're outright lying or bending it too far.

[Turbodiesel1690]

Staple a £50 note to it

[KenBlocksPants]

NotConfused said:

Target the CV for the job. If you're applying for 10 jobs, you'll need 10 CV's.

This X 10000000000000

Also depending on the position many recruiters used automated scoring systems run over your CV looking for keywords. These keywords will be in the ad wording.

[Big Tav]

renrut said:

if its via job sites like Monster or Totaljobs, they're not even read by people, they're scanned for select words and then they contact those people individually. If this is the case you won't even get a look in without the right words.

Is this true? How are you meant to know what these "buzz" words are especially if you are just attaching it to your profile when you register to the job site?

[softtop]

Big Tav said:

renrut said:

if its via job sites like Monster or Totaljobs, they're not even read by people, they're scanned for select words and then they contact those people individually. If this is the case you won't even get a look in without the right words.

Is this true? How are you meant to know what these "buzz" words are especially if you are just attaching it to your profile when you register to the job site?

the type of thing would be, business process outsourcing, ITO, etc, whatever your industry is or where you want to target your skills.

[renrut]

softtop said:

Big Tav said:

renrut said:

if its via job sites like Monster or Totaljobs, they're not even read by people, they're scanned for select words and then they contact those people individually. If this is the case you won't even get a look in without the right words.

Is this true? How are you meant to know what these "buzz" words are especially if you are just attaching it to your profile when you register to the job site?

the type of thing would be, business process outsourcing, ITO, etc, whatever your industry is or where you want to target your skills.

Browse the websites and see what people are asking for in the job descriptions, then update your profile/CV to cover it.

For engineering design type jobs they love to ask for ability in particular CAD packages or experience in particular specialised fields. Just saying you can draw a tractor in CAD or have designs under your belt with programmable chips isn't enough, you need to name the software package or the specific field as it is known in the industry so that its picked up by the search engines.