A fantastic CV will help you earn a higher salary and can be used in a job interview, when negotiating a job offer, and during performance reviews and pay rise negotiations.
A recent study of hiring managers comparing self-written CVs to professionally written CVs revealed three interesting facts. Hiring managers gave top marks twice as often to the professional CV examples, deemed them more likely to secure an interview, and estimated their salary worth to be 7% more, viewing the individual as more capable.
Read: How Do I Make My CV Look Professional
Furthermore, 75% of CVs are assessed electronically, using unsoftware applications, meaning CVs that are not up to scratch may never get read by a person, such as a hiring manager or employer.
At the end of the day, a good CV that is professionally or personally written will help you get a job and secure a higher than average salary.
In this article, we look at how you can create a fantastic CV and how it will help you earn a higher salary.
How job seekers can create a CV that passes a robot’s approval
As we have mentioned, three out of four recruiters and employers who advertise jobs online use Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software to assess and manage the influx of CVs a job advert can create.
CV writing is part science and part art, and unfortunately, many job seekers are not even aware that top salary paying companies are using software to reject CVs. It helps to think of this software as Google for hiring managers and employers.
Just like when you make an internet search, Google assesses the keywords and phrases on a website to rank them and gives you the best and most relevant results. So, our CV writing advice is to include the keywords a recruiter is looking for on your CV.
Read: CV Tips And Advice
Of course, the next logical question is, how do you know what keywords recruitment software is looking for?
Top CV writing tip:
The job description and job advert will undoubtedly contain the keywords a robot uses for CV filtering. Read the job description carefully and highlight the key skills, relevant experience, qualifications, abilities, and personal traits mentioned. These are the keywords you must include in your personal statement and throughout your CV.
Read: Words To Use In A CV & What To Include In A Personal Statement
Prove Your Salary Worth
A generic CV that tells a potential employer that you have the skills and experience they want, is rarely convincing. For example, a generic CV statement that says, ‘I have sales skills’ will not help you get a job or earn more.
When you speak about your skills and achievements, you need to demonstrate them by providing evidence that quantifies your statements. For example, a great CV would say, ‘Leveraging my sales skills, I achieved 230% of my sales target, earning me the Sales Person Of The Year Award.’
So, the more often you quantify your achievements and relevant skills on your CV, the better your chances of securing a new job. Your potential employer sees your worth, and that will help you when negotiating your wage.
A Great CV Is Balanced And Concise
Visual balance is an essential element of a professional CV. It makes sense to make your CV easy to read, and this is essential if a recruiter is to divulge your story. A good design uses white space and presents your important information in a concise and uncluttered manner.
Remember, an employer may only spend a few seconds giving your CV a first glance before deciding which CVs to read further, ahead of calling candidates in for an interview.
A CV writing trap many candidates fall into is reducing the font size or reducing the page margins to cram all their skills and experience onto one page. A two-page CV is a better option if you have information of significant value that an employer will be interested in.
Read: How Many Pages Long Should A CV Be?
Top CV writing tip:
Use bullet points to convey important information rather than writing long sentences and paragraphs.
Remember Your Job Search Goal When Writing Your Personal Statement
Your personal statement, which sits above your employment history and qualifications, is your elevator pitch. It is vital to avoid using overly used adjectives, which tends to result in having the same CV as everyone else.
If you want to progress to the next stage in the recruitment process with top-paying employers, write a personal statement that shouts out what you are passionate about, what you are great at, and why you are the perfect candidate for the job role.
Sharing Your Story, Leading Back To The Job Description
When you write your CV, tell your story and avoid just including a list of skills you have and duties you have performed. An employer loves to hear how your experiences and qualification have prepared you for their position.
It helps to refer back to the job description to ensure how you present your evidence meshes with the company and position.
You can only write one LinkedIn or social media profile, so your CV is the first opportunity you have to write about yourself in a manner personalised to the job, industry, and company where you want to work.
Using A CV Writer And CV Templates
We recommend using a CV writer or CV template to avoid creating a generic CV that many employers will simply ignore. Of course, the most important thing is to personalise your CV or job application by considering the job description. .
Our top career advice here is also to read the careers page and social media accounts of the potential employer. There you will find out about the company’s vision, values, industry, mission, and culture.
Top CV writing tip:
Once you have created a CV that looks professional, proofread it, or better still ask someone else to read it to spot mistakes in your spelling or grammar.
To create a professional CV or resume, use our CV Builder or choose one of our CV Templates.
Read: What Not To Include On Your CV
CV And Salary FAQs
Here we look at the frequently asked questions on earning more with a fantastic CV.
Should you pay someone to write your CV?
While a professional CV writer will craft you a refined resume, it is perfectly plausible to create your CV yourself and secure an interview for jobs and negotiate a higher wage. Of course, the key to securing an interview or higher wage is to personalise and include evidence and examples of skills used and achievements.
What should you include on your CV?
Your CV should include your contact details, a personal statement, previous jobs, and qualifications. You do not need to include references at the pre-interview stage of the hiring process.
Why is a CV important?
A CV will help you secure a job interview and is your sales pitch on paper. By quantifying your skills and abilities, you will be able to negotiate a higher wage during interviews or better pay during performance reviews.
CV templates for your profession
Get a head start by reviewing our templates and by reading our career advice. Within the categories listed below, you will find CV templates for more than 500 jobs.
