What should you put in a CV to stand out from other applicants?

Respond directly to the job description

Employers usually have a clear idea of the skills and level of experience they are looking for in candidates. In light of this, your resume should reflect the job description of the position you’re applying for.

In a sea of candidates, the most interesting CV will be the one that corresponds exactly to the technical knowledge, work experience and training required for the position. If citing your previous jobs doesn’t seem very relevant, you will have to be creative and find a way to link your skills with this new potential role.

Emphasize your accomplishments in your CV

Don’t just describe the responsibilities you had in your previous jobs in your CV, but instead focus on your accomplishments.

If you only describe your tasks, you aren’t informing the recruiter of your ability to do your job effectively. Don’t hesitate to explain how you excelled in your profession and went beyond the requirements of the position you held.

Gain advantage over your competitors by quantifying your achievements

There is no better way to describe your accomplishments than by providing insightful figures of your performance as an employee. How many products did you sell? How much money did you save? How many employees did you manage or train? This is what could make you stand out as a candidate.

Providing measurable statistics will give managers indications as to how you can grow their business. Employers are used to juggling numbers and so providing the figures will help paint a clear picture of your talents and abilities.

A CV should only contain relevant information

The information you decide to exclude from your CV is just as important as the information you decide to include. You may be tempted to make up for the fact that you don’t have a lot of experience by including plenty of details in your CV, but this idea could easily backfire.

Professional experiences that are unrelated to the position you are applying for or unimportant details could make the employer think that you haven’t understood what they want.

In short, to make your CV stand out from those of other applicants, you will have to specifically tailor it to each of the jobs you apply for. You should also avoid the preconceived, overly general formulas that say very little about your personality and your skills. Therefore, a new version of your curriculum vitae, taking into account the tips above, may well help you to land an interview.

Don’t hesitate to contact our company for any questions regarding available job offers or to receive advice directly from specially qualified recruiters.