If your CV makes an impact within 8 seconds (the average time an employer takes to look at your CV) you’re one step closer, to getting the job you want!
Highams Recruitment are partners to the finance industry, specialising in Insurance, Life & Pensions and Wealth Management. Here's our Top 10 Tips on creating a CV that will make you stand out from the crowd.
1. Tell us your achievements
We advise candidates to add in a 'Key Achievements' section at the beginning of your CV. This makes it easier for you to then tailor your CV to highlight key skills, experience and accomplishments from your career.
2. 'One size does not fit all'
Tailoring your CV is essential when applying for jobs. Try to strike a balance between detailing your core knowledge, key skills and experience, and providing specific examples which are tailored to the job description and are core to the role. This will ensure that the potential employer can easily see why you are a great fit for the position.
3. Honesty is the best policy
Always ensure that you are honest about your skills and experience and that your LinkedIn Profile accurately reflects your CV, particularly your dates of employment and roles undertaken.
4. Don't ignore the gap
If you have taken time between roles to travel, complete a personal project, study or recover from an illness make sure you are transparent and include it in your CV. Leaving unexplained gaps may result in delays in progressing your application, whilst they are queried and qualified.
5. Always ask someone to proofread
Spelling mistakes/grammatical errors can be avoided with the right attention to detail.
6. Experience first. Academia second.
Unless the role expresses specific qualifications that the employer is looking for, highlight your experience initially. Your qualifications should always be placed on the last page.
7. The key is in the detail
You want a potential employer to see how you can add value and this can be achieved by including context and scale in relation to your experience. Ensure that you include:
· The types of projects you have been involved in i.e. Platform Integration, Claims Transformation, Product Development, Regulatory Change and Data Migration
· Include details of the Software Packages you have used i.e. Guidewire, FNZ, GBST, ICE Policy or Composer
· Project scale (budget and length of project)
· 3rd party engagement
· Delivery Model / Reporting lines / Team sizes
· Cost savings and results you have achieved
If you include these facts, you will be sure to grab people’s attention. We also recommend including more detail in your most recent roles and shorten older roles.
8. Punchy & to the point - your CV should not be your life story
Presenting a concise CV means that you save the small details for the interview.
9. Keep it Professional
Always use a professional font, bullet points, clear headings and a reverse chronological order. Avoid graphics and images that may detract from the knowledge and experience that you are sharing.
10. Stay up to date
Always ensure that your CV is up to date so that it not only accurately reflects what stage you are at in your career, it is also ready for you to use when an interesting opportunity presents itself.
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Website reference: https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/infographic-recruiters-spend-5-7-seconds-reading-your-cv