Project Start’s Top Tips: How to make your CV stand out from the crowd! 

This is the perfect time to make sure your CV is as up to date and eye-catching to potential new employers as it can be. Here at Project Start, we want to make sure your CV will stand out from other candidates. Check out our ‘Top Tips’ below and follow them in order to create a successful CV for future employers. 

Tip #1 Personal Statement 

Always include a short personal statement at the start of your CV. This is seen as an introduction and a great way to summarise and highlight your experience in a few sentences. Remember, make it interesting. This is the first impression a potential new employer will have of you. Summarize your professional experience and key skills, not what you like to do at a weekend. 

Tip #2 Qualifications & Training 

When outlining your qualifications & training, it is best to do it in chronological date order (newest / most recent first.) Make sure you list all of your professional qualifications and training course, along with the dates they were completed. Furthermore, if any of them have an expiry date, be sure to add that in as well.

Tip #3 Professional Achievements 

Adding in a key achievement section to your CV (underneath all of your qualifications) is a great way to outline what you have achieved professionally, at just a quick glance and having it all in one place makes it nice and easy to read. It is good to include facts and figures in this section, for example, ‘I was responsible for growing profit from £x to £z’ and then expand on that further.

Tip #4 Work Experience 

The best tip we can give you on this one, keep your work experience up to date! As an employer looking at a CV, there is nothing worse than it being out of date. The best way to do this is regularly going in and updating your CV, with new work experience, adding your qualifications frequently when you complete them etc, rather than sitting and starting from scratch, or updating from 10 years ago.

Always be sure to add in the dates, your position and the company you were/are working for (listing the current at the top again and back down in chronological order.) Underneath each role, add in a paragraph outlining your duties and responsibilities. Describe your professional/technical position in the business, what systems and projects you worked with and what your day to day functions are within that role, there is nothing worse than this being non-descriptive.

Tip #5 Finishing Off Your CV 

Finally, it is good to add some reference details at the bottom of your CV. Names, numbers and email address’ or previous employers and personal references are a good way to round of your CV.

Be sure to check out our video on our YouTube channel by simply searching ‘Project Start’ where you will find more details and tips!