With only a few minutes for an employer to decide whether your CV makes the cut, it’s important to understand how to make the right first impression with your job application.

So what’s the secret? Here’s a quick guide to making sure your CV stands out from the competition and lands you an invitation to interview:
  • Be relevant – your CV must be a match for the job. Compare your CV to the job advert and make sure you meet the minimum criteria they have asked for. Use the ‘key words’ or phrases they use within the job description or person specification to mirror your skills-set. This will show the reader you are an instant match to their requirements.
  • Pay attention to detail – if you’d like an employer to spend time reading your CV, be sure to spend time creating it. Make small tweaks and changes to target your CV and application to individual jobs or employers where you can. Read through your CV before you click ‘send’ or ask someone to check through those small details that can make all the difference.
  • Be concise – keep it short, to the point and easy to read. Use plain formatting and save the bold or underlined text only for the bits you really want to stand out. Use bullet points to summarise and include only the relevant information – remember you’ll have time to give more details when you reach interview stage.
To get started in crafting a great CV, download our free templates below and browse the articles to learn more about how to use your CV to maximise your chances of application success. Once you’re invited to interview, our range of resources will help you understand what to expect, how to prepare and the best answers to give.
Building Confidence in Your Skills and ‘Selling’ Yourself for College, Apprenticeship or Job Interviews

Building Confidence in Your Skills and ‘Selling’ Yourself for College, Apprenticeship or Job Interviews

Being asked to ‘sell yourself’ and demonstrate self-promotion is a daunting prospect for most students and young people. But Building confidence in your skills is important, not just for application forms and personal statements, but also when asked in-person to describe your skills during interviews for college, sixth form, apprenticeships or jobs.  First you’ll need…

Soft and Hard Skills

Soft and Hard Skills

Having analysed thousands of job listings, recruitment app Debut has revealed the most in-demand ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ skills employers are looking for. But first, what exactly are ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ skills? What are Hard Skills? Hard skills are acquired through training, practice, and education.  Therefore, any skills that are taught in some form are classed as a…

Top Tips for CV Writing

Top Tips for CV Writing

When writing your CV, it’s crucial that you stand out from the competition to ensure you bag yourself that dream job! You must learn how to sell yourself to potential employers and show that you’re right for the job. Here you can find all the information you need to create targeted applications with our top…

How to excel in a job interview

How to excel in a job interview

So you’ve spruced up your CV, searched for job vacancies and started the application process. But what’s next? Hopefully, you’ll start to hear back from potential employers with those all-important interview offers. If so, find out how to excel in a job interview with our top tips. Job interviews can be an extremely nerve-racking part…

End of content

End of content