Niche Recruitment

Posted by Victoria Goddard
15th March 2017

Time for a Spring clean!

We are here Spring cleaning our office ready for our office move (more news on that coming soon)! Why not join us in the Spring clean and freshen up your CV with our top tips from Rebecca, our fabulous Resourcer…….

Perhaps you’re on the cusp of reinventing your career, or find that your current search approach isn’t achieving desired results. Tweaking your CV could be the difference in optimising your profile presentation. Small changes go a long way, so once you have the basics down (CV success dos and don’ts), you can start adding the finishing touches…

• Consider having a strong, punchy personal statement to kick off your CV. Outline the skill set/transferable skills relevant to your intended sector, detailing what kind of opportunity you’re looking for and a general direction you want your career to head in.
• Be sure to highlight your most relevant employment/voluntary experience, which compliments your intended sector. If you have been with an employer for a considerable length of time, but sure to detail your responsibilities and achievements in this role.
• When we look at CVs, we need to be able to extract key information at a quick glance. Large blocks of text can be intimidating to employers. Be concise. Break responsibilities down into succinct points and don’t repeat yourself.
• Contract & Temporary roles are a fantastic way of developing your career without risking the appearance of ‘job hopping’ on your CV. Be sure that you mention, next to the duration, that it was a temporary or contract position. This isn’t a long-term solution, but it gives a great ‘stepping-stone’ opening into companies.
• On another note, for those who are venturing into Marketing/creative industries, never underestimate the influence of a portfolio or voluntary experience in the absence of a creative career history. Don’t forget to include brief details of this on your CV. Don’t be afraid to show off your creative flair with your CV.
• Make sure your CV matches the information listed on your Job Board profile. It saves not only your time, but recruiters’ also.
• Be consistent with your CV layout. If headings are bold, reflect this throughout the whole document. Chose a clean font (Calibri is a personal favourite), and even pepper small touches of colour to highlight certain details.

More importantly, you need to be patient with yourself. When you redirect your career, or embark on a fresh start, you may need to take several paces back before you can step-up level with where you were before. This could mean being flexible with your location, embarking on an entry-level role, compromising on your salary expectations and broadening your options to consider temporary/contract roles, hey you could even have a couple of CVs tailored to suit each!

Good luck and be sure to dedicate time to enjoying the spring weather along with your refreshed job search.

Beccy