6 Things You Need To Do To Make Your CV Unique

As a job seeker, writing a CV is not an easy feat, especially if you want one that will stand out from the crowd. Whether you’re an experienced professional or you are just fresh out of college or university, preparing a unique CV is essential to landing your dream job.

The good thing is that there are several ways to make this happen. 6 ways to make your CV stand out will be listed below, but we will first define what a CV is.

Curriculum Vitae

CV is the abbreviation for the Latin phrase Curriculum Vitae, which means ‘course of life’. It is a comprehensive document that describes the course of your academic and professional achievements. It starts in chronological order, from the lowest level of achievement to the highest. This means that it starts from your earliest educational background to your highest educational or professional achievement.

The length of a CV varies. It could be 2 pages, it could be 10 pages. It all depends on the amount of experience and achievements.

Your CV can include educational, awards, special honors, research or academic projects, grants or scholarships, publications, your career history, and a personal statement that lists your skills and attributes.

6 Ways to Make Your CV Stand Out

Your Personal Statement:

When recruiters pick up a CV, the first thing they notice the majority of the time is your personal statement. This is why you must pay special attention to what you mention in it. It must make them want to continue reading your CV and make them understand you more.

You must make sure it covers what you are, the skills you have to offer, and your career objectives. Make sure that this part is in sync with the job description so the recruiter might pick an interest in you. Make it unique for every job you apply for. To stand out, it is necessary to you write what you bring to the table that makes you qualified for that role. Make sure to emphasize your most impressive relevant skills and abilities.

You can use situations to back up your claims, however, be careful to not exaggerate them. Put all your skills and experience that make you perfect for the job.

Keep it short and succinct. 150-200 words are enough. Make sure your grammar is correct and your words aren’t too complex to understand. Keep it simple but professional.

Choose Your Keywords Carefully:

Choosing the right keywords makes it easier for recruiters to find you among hundreds of other applicants. This is why it is essential to choose the right keywords always; it makes you stand out from the rest.

When researching for the right keywords to use in your CV, search for them in the job description and the responsibilities of the role. This is because recruiters use keywords to filter eligible applicants among thousands of applications. Make sure the keywords are repeated in your CV, subtlety though.

You can also search for keywords on the company’s website. Doing this will also give you an insight into how your attributes and experience fit into the job role you are applying for.

Know Your Strengths and Highlight Them:

Competing with other applicants for a particular job means that all of you have one or two things in common that qualify you to apply for the same job. To stand out among the crowd, you should find out your strengths and highlight them in your CV. You should know yourself better.

Your strengths are the things that set you apart, your interests and extracurricular activities such as community volunteer work or volunteer work for an NGO, writing your blog on personal issues or topics surrounding your field of expertise, or having a social media platform with a large following for networking with people in your field and taking online courses.

These things are of interest to the recruitment team and can increase your chances of getting employed. Be sure to make mention of them in your CV. Also, do not forget to add relevant links to your portfolio, blog, social media accounts, or any other thing that can make your CV Unique.

Proactively Describe Yourself:

Always use the STAR model when backing up your claims about yourself with examples and situations. It simply means:

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result

This model helps you to identify a situation, how you tackled it, and the result of how you handled it. When writing this, formulate them into key points and make them short. It also helps you concisely communicate your strengths within the work experience of your CV.

The recruiter will also get that you have gone beyond your past job responsibilities and expectations to get results. It demonstrates that you are very qualified and capable of taking on the job role.

Your CV Must Suit Each Job You Apply To:

Because you have to include keywords of the job role you are applying for in your CV, it must suit each job that you apply for. CV is not a one-size fits all document, you have to modify it every time that you apply for a job, to meet up with the various recruiters in different companies. Make the most of the information you gather in your research about the company, job role, and responsibilities in every CV that you submit.

A CV is all about selling yourself effectively; emphasize relevant roles that you have previously taken on and your relevant strengths to sell yourself better. Even though it takes a lot of time, the results will always be worth it.

Tick All the Basic Boxes:

Don’t forget all the basics in writing a good CV. Make sure that your work is neatly arranged, with no grammatical errors. Your CV should be clear, concise, and straightforward. Always give your CV a final edit before sending it out.

Ensure that your CV is chronologically arranged and easy to navigate. Be sure that all the different sections (personal details, personal summary, education, achievements, work experience, hobbies) are logically listed because that is what makes a CV unique!

Editor’s note: The Dik3n Team is a team of professionals in digital marketing, web development, project management and graphics design. We pledge to work tirelessly towards fulfilling your business goals. Contact us for consultations here!