10 CV revamp tips to get you noticed by recruiters

You've got a great career story and the qualifications to back it up. The only problem is after writing them all into your CV, you’re left with a document that’s too long and wordy. Remember, recruiters spend mere seconds on each application so you don’t have long to make an impression! Put your CV revamp in motion and get it right from the start with these expert tips:

1. Tailor your CV 

When it comes to a CV revamp, the first thing to remember is your target job. Sending out a generic application will get you nowhere fast. Your CV should be focused on one particular role. 

By focusing solely on the information that’s pertinent to your target job, you'll soon declutter your CV. Just remember to type: entry-hyperlink id: 7sQx2KVnTDXdThe0ASqbWc slightly for every role you apply for, to ensure that you hit the requirements every time.

2. Remove personal details

When you’re doing a CV revamp, be sure to remove personal details. These can waste space. Keep your name and type: entry-hyperlink id: 18Nf6sqSvLm7rtiBT86nAg, obviously, but remove extra details like marital status, date of birth, National Insurance number, passport number, nationality, and so on. They simply have no bearing on your ability to do the job and add nothing to your application.

Many of these details count as protected characteristics, so a recruiter should ignore them to ensure a fair, unbiased, and non-discriminatory recruitment process. Some of the details could even give rise to security issues, if you're type: entry-hyperlink id: 5LvzQmBE3d2g2yHVcKYhcJ online or emailing it out indiscriminately.

3. Keep your profile intro short and sweet

Your document needs to start with a type: entry-hyperlink id: rOODyJrj4gXQkqCfhUnnI. This serves as your introduction and type: entry-hyperlink id: 4Otl3Nl19ItSxSrwBaih2c. The trick here is to remember that less is more. Your CV revamp to-do list must include reducing the length of the profile (four to five lines should be plenty) and making an impact with your concise wording and achievements rather than your waffle.

4. Only include relevant experience

Can you omit things from your CV? Of course you can! The literal translation of type: entry-hyperlink id: 1Y3k8P3ut6tTIgAPKQTDcE is “Course of Life” – but that doesn't mean you need to tell your life story. The recruiter only needs to know whether you can do the job, so anything that detracts from that message should be considered for deletion. 

When it comes to your CV revamp, your first port of call should be seeing which type: entry-hyperlink id: 2mvM8mkLQrM5OLkILf9wDG adds to your application. Filling out the page with details of old or irrelevant jobs is one of the type: entry-hyperlink id: 3UOheaNvXTDeZHQHNnE2V4 to avoid. Ideally, you want every work position to align, at least in some way, with the vacancy at hand.

5. Prioritise measurable achievements 

Avoid including extensive lists of responsibilities for any role – stick to the highlights. Rather than waxing lyrical about your tasks, change the narrative and highlight your type: entry-hyperlink id: 4RECVG9dtJRWTXVWTe4aZY. This move shows the hiring manager what you can bring to the role. 

For example, rather than writing “managed a small team,” add some colour to this point. You can write “managed a team of 10 employees and exceeded sales targets by 15% in Q1”. Do you see the difference? At a glance, the recruiter would be able to see your value. 

6. Ditch ancient history

Your CV revamp needs to make the document more concise. The most common reason for a long CV is an extensive career history. If you've held many jobs during your career, it can be tricky squeezing them all in. The easiest way to shorten your CV is to simply summarise any roles you held over 10 years ago. Anything older than that can be omitted completely.

Condense older jobs to your job title, employer name, and dates of employment – do you really think a recruiter wants to know the ins and outs of your apprenticeship 20 years ago? Go through all of your type: entry-hyperlink id: 4rS2EuicXAegAfmEIMe7s3 and delete the positions that exceed this time limit.

7. Rethink your hobbies

type: entry-hyperlink id: 3X79L0tUiWe0Ll6a1FGbRp on a CV rarely add any value, so when you’re doing your CV revamp, ask yourself whether you need to dedicate a large amount of space to these pastimes. 

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. If you’re writing a school leaver CV and lack experience, you may want to add this section to bolster your application. On the other hand, if your hobbies are directly relevant to the vacancy, you may want to include it here.

8. Condense your content within two pages

Every CV clean-up should look at the length of your document. While there's no one perfect type: entry-hyperlink id: 4ITXa60q3WWavKqh4bpfJf, the commonly accepted standard is two pages. 

If you've done everything you can to meet this standard and still find that you're faced with an outsized document, try these quick hacks on how to shorten your CV.

• Change your type: entry-hyperlink id: 4uRJHKlmEQWYpxGMtmoj34 and/or style

• Reduce the margins

• Use bullet points rather than paragraphs, to force you to write concisely

• Change the format of the headers

• Remove headers and footers

• Keep reviewing and revising to maintain focus and relevancy

The key here is to ensure that your CV remains readable! Cramming it from edge to edge with tiny text isn't going to help your cause.

9. Incorporate choice keywords 

Looking to get past the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)? To write an type: entry-hyperlink id: 50l6AtsSO9Z0XJ3v5DoWW7, look for keywords and phrases highlighted in the job description and pepper your CV with them. As the software scans for these phrases when reviewing your CV, taking the time to add them to your application can boost your chances of success. 

10. Use the right language 

When doing your CV revamp, it pays to take a closer look at the tone and wording you use. Make sure they align with your experience and target profession. Are you using appropriate type: entry-hyperlink id: 5t4OgB1yFycQI7IGpzW5GQ? Can you type: entry-hyperlink id: 4pag9KsSYT42PSqUYAVUZc without sounding arrogant? Believe it or not, this could make a huge difference in how recruiters see you.

Start your CV revamp now

Now that you know how to revamp your CV, it’s time to get to work! The golden rule is to keep everything on the page relevant to the job you're applying for, so you should be hitting that delete key now for anything that doesn't support your application. 

Still struggling to control your unwieldy CV? Leave it to the professionals. Get some expert feedback with our free CV review and revamp your CV now.

This article was originally written by Jen David and has been updated by Charlotte Grainger.

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