On average, recruiters receive 250 applications per corporate job opening. With a statistic like this, it is essential that your CV is up to scratch, because if you’re not selling yourself on your CV, you can bet that the next candidate is.
If your CV includes one or more of the following signs, it might be time to step it up.
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Your CV is missing a skills section
When it comes to passing an applicant tracking system, your skills section is your best friend. This is the easiest way to insert keywords into your CV and highlight to the recruiter (and software) that you have the necessary skills for the role. If you don’t have a skills section on your CV, or if you are listing irrelevant skills, then you are likely underselling yourself.
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You’ve yet to master the art of the humble brag
It’s not always comfortable to talk about your achievements, but when the whole point of a CV is to sell yourself, you need to step it up.
Enter the art of the humble brag.
The goal here is to brag about your achievements, qualifications and skills in a way that is professional and polite (and doesn’t necessarily feel like bragging). If you’re struggling to talk about your accomplishments, you could be underselling yourself.
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You’ve listed your duties but not your achievements
Recruiters are looking for candidates who can demonstrate relevant experience and offer a positive contribution to the hiring company. When listing your previous work experience, you shouldn’t be writing it like a job description. It’s fine to list your responsibilities, but recruiters will be looking for your achievements. What did you contribute to your previous roles? What impact did you have? If you can list specific accomplishments and figures to demonstrate the quantifiable impact you made, chances are you’ll move ahead of the competition.
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You forgot to include a cover letter
When your CV is only two pages in length, you want to make sure you are using every tool you’ve got to impress a recruiter. So why wouldn’t you submit a cover letter? Unlike a CV, your cover letter is an opportunity to speak directly to the hiring manager and address exactly why you’re the perfect candidate for the role. Even if the job application lists a cover letter as ‘optional’, it’s always recommended to submit one. If you don’t, you’re probably underselling yourself and limiting your opportunities.
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You skipped the proofread
Errors and spelling mistakes are a major pet hate for 71 percent of recruiters, so you’re certainly selling yourself short if you don’t take the time to proofread your CV. Use spell check on your word processor, read it through slowly at least three times and, if you can, get a friend to read it too.