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Maximise your chances of success with the perfect CV!

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Why The Perfect Team?

One of the most important documents you will ever compile (unless you are an award winning author) is your CV. This document sells you to potential employers and its a chance for you to really sell your expertise and experience. On this page, we will recommend the best way to structure your CV in order to get the best results. Your CV is worth investing some time and effort in to get this right!

How to tweak your CV for the role you are applying for

You should always include the following information:

Contact Information

Before you get any further, ensure you have the right details at the top of your page. Sounds simple enough but if you get your contact information wrong or you don't keep it up to date, how will potential employers contact you?

Include: name, professional titles, town/county you reside in and your email address and phone number.

Don't include: Full address, a title of the document (CV / Curriculum Vitae) your age, headshot or marital status

The important opening profile

Your profile will sit directly underneath your contact details and gives your prospective employers information on who you are, what your career goals are and what you can offer a company. In your profile you can talk about your relevant experience and your key skills.

It is important to tailor this profile to the different roles you are applying for. Make it short and sweet and be sure to include keywords sure to grab your readers attention - "proactive", "team player" and "proven ability" are just some of many! Include your skills and the role you want / industry you want to work in.

Include: What type of work you are looking for (part time / full time), your keys skills and career goals

Don't include: Irrelevant experience, things you have not achieved

Relevant and impressive experience to get you noticed

This section is a chance for you to discuss your experience and employment history in more detail. Always list your most recent role first and include the following information for every role you have held in the last decade:

Job title
Employer
Dates you worked
Your key relevant responsibilities including figures, statistics and results if appropriate and applicable. Use power verbs if possible including managed, organised, led etc.

Your most recent education to show your knowledge!

Now its time to write about your education. Much the same as your employment history, always start with your most recent institution and include the following:

Name of the place
Dates your studied
Qualifications, prizes and awards
For degrees - list the relevant modules and any professional qualifications go at the top of this list

Key skills to make you stand out

How to stand out from others

The last section of your CV should include any skills you have picked up during your working journey. This can include vocational training if you have taken any. Only add your hobbies if you feel you need more information on your CV and only then if your hobby is unusual, impressive or interesting.

You don't need to mention references on your CV!

Top tips for a professionally perfect CV

Your CV should be 1-3 pages in length dependent on your age and experience
If you are very experienced, you can reduce the amount of included information about less relevant roles
Always ensure you have chosen a font that is easy for all to read such as Ariel or Calibri
Proof read your CV - use spell checker and take advantage of a fresh pair of eyes to give your CV the sign off

With so much information online about how to write and present your CV, take some time to find the format you prefer and then invest time making your CV look finished and polished. Once your CV has been read and agreed by your chosen person, its time to hit those job boards!

Job boards hold the answers

Job boards are free to register to and are an essential part of finding a new role. They are viewed by agencies and employers regularly. You can set your job board up to receive relevant vacancies by email so you never miss a job opportunity. We also recommend Google search for relevant job boards as they are highly optimised. Upload a fresh CV every week (delete your previous one first) so you have a higher chance of being spotted.

For a list of relevant Job Boards, please contact Perfect Team!

Keep yourself motivated

When you are on the hunt for a new role, it can be frustrating and easy to feel demotivated or give up. Take a look at our top tips to keep positive whilst you are searching for the perfect role:

Get up at a normal time and be by your computer by 09.00 each day
Google search and bookmark job boards and check them every day
Use all your social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc) to ask if your followers know anyone looking for someone with your skills
Stop at lunchtime and take a break to eat, shop, go to the gym or even go for a walk. You could use this time to meet friends, family or contacts and mention to them that you’re job-hunting. You never know who they may know.
Sit down again at 14.00 and work until 17.00
Remember to remove/upload your CV from job boards each week, so you have a greater chance of being spotted
Make sure you keep a note of the jobs you’ve applied for, and any relevant information you need to remember about them
Remember to schedule in time to follow up once you’ve sent your CV or applied for a role
If you have friends or family members who are also job hunting, you can team up and keep each other company while you search
If you’ve not worked for a while, feel like you need a confidence boost, or want to get experience in a different field, volunteering is a great idea. Many charities would be delighted to welcome you, so you’ll be doing them a service and it will look good on your CV.

Maximise your chances of success

Tailoring your CV

Tailor your CV to each vacancy, making sure you use words and/or phrases from the job spec if possible in your profile!

Following up after an interview

Whether you’re applying to a company or an agency, always call to follow up within 10 minutes of pressing send. Using the excuse of checking they’ve got your CV gives you an opportunity to have a conversation and find out more about the role. This is a good way to get them to see you as a person, and not just a piece of paper. Think about questions you could ask before you call. You may be able to get an interview by taking the initiative in this way.

Whether or not to register with an agency

Once you’ve put your CV on job boards you will get a lot of calls from high street agencies. By all means talk to them but remember that they need to register a certain number of people for every job. If they have a suitable role it’s worth registering with them but, if they don’t, you can politely explain that you’d prefer to wait to do this.

Should you take on temporary work?

If temporary work is available in a place you’d like to work, go for it! It will be great experience, and you’ll have the chance to show the client how good you are. Temporary roles can also become permanent – and if you are already in the role and doing a good job, you’ll be in with a shot.

Before and after an interview

Before an interview

It’s important to dress for the role you want when you go for an interview, so wearing a business suit is always advisable. If you don’t have a suit, then buy a smart pair of black or navy trousers or a skirt, the same colour jacket and a white shirt. Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Matalan are great places for very cheap but smart clothing.
If you don’t have a suit, you can ask your Job Centre contact if they can help you pay for a suit, as they do have a budget for this.
Before the interview, do as much preparation as you can on the company, the interviewer and the role. It’s a good idea to make some notes, and prepare some questions, to show you’re keen. Check out the company website and see if they’ve been in the news for anything recently. You can also look at company and individual profiles on LinkedIn.
Take time before the interview to think about why you’re the right person for the role. It’s also wise to think about the experience and knowledge you have which proves your suitability, so you can talk about this in your interview.
If you are already employed, think about how you will answer any questions about why you’re leaving your current company.
Well before your interview, work out how you are going to get to the interview. Check on the day to make sure that traffic or roadworks won’t delay you. Leave in good time to get there a little early.

After an interview

When you walk into the room, hold your head high and smile. Give the interviewer(s) a nice firm handshake and maintain eye contact while you are talking and listening to them.
It’s OK to tell the interviewer that you’re nervous – they will understand – but try not to fidget if possible.
Don’t badmouth the company you’re working for now – or any previous employer or colleague.
Towards the end of your interview, if you are interested in the role, ask what the next stage would be.
As you leave, shake their hand and thank them for their time.

Our Specialist Roles

For a unique recruitment agency working in and around the home counties and North / North West London, Perfect Team recruitment have a variety of roles from entry-level to director positions. Perfect Team work across many industries and are adding a variety of roles everyday:

Why not register your CV with us?

Do feel free to call Ruth at Perfect Team today on 01923 244848 to seek the best advice for your next job searching journey.

Contact Ruth

Any questions?

If you are looking for a candidate with a unique set of skills, you will need a unique recruitment agency to help you find them.

Do we offer refunds?

If for any reason the employee found by us leaves your company within 100 days of starting with your business, Perfect Team will offer you a free replacement employee or a 100% money-back guarantee.

What sector do we specialise in?

If you are looking for a candidate with a unique set of skills, you will need a unique recruitment agency to help you find them. As specialists in the engineering sector, we work with clients throughout the Home Counties and North West London. Get in touch today to discuss your position or register your CV.

Do you take on apprentices?

Calling all post-apprentice machine tools or CNC milling/turning engineers!

Perfect Team are the sole recruiters for Citizen Machinery. If you have finished your apprenticeship and want to start a rewarding career with Citizen Machinery, please get in touch with Perfect Team today.

01923 244 848

Looking for a Job

Why The Perfect Team?

The Perfect CV

Key Skills

Chance of Success

Interview Process

Creating the perfect CV