Yes, it is Guy Fawkes and as such we are adding a little fun into the article today to relate all things to the occasion and asking the question – does your CV light fires in the hearts of hiring managers’ or is it a bit of a damp firework?  Expectations are always high when it comes to opening a CV when recruiting for a new role, sometimes (but not always) we have our appetites whet by a really explosive covering letter which really addresses the requirements for the role and we open the CV with excited anticipation, however, often the CV is a real let down. Why does this happen, you ask? Well CVs are often put together and then forgotten about as you feel you’ve done the best you can and it should be fit for all applications. You see a job you like and go about writing a cover letter talking through your career similarities to the position, all the effort goes in here with little thought to how the CV reads now (sometimes months on from when you originally wrote it). It is good practice to always read through your CV and match against the roles you wish to apply for, and then make tweaks so it is substantiating the detail you have supplied in the cover letter.

• Bonfire – Create a document which really makes reviewers warm to it, think out of the box, and make sure your personality and management style come across.
• Fireworks – Create a dazzling display on the CV to make recruiters want to read on, it’s not all about formatting and colours, it is content. What would you like to see if you were recruiting?
• Treacle toffee – Always seems like a good idea until it gets stuck in your teeth, just like writing untruths. Keen it real, you want the CV to be good, more emphasis on what you have done not what you haven’t please.
• Lanterns – shine a light on your experience; stand out from the crowd by working in good examples of where you have shone.
• Penny for the Guy – Stop pretending to be something you are not, you will soon be found out. You will no doubt have some great experience so talk about it, think about impacts and change – doesn’t sound so flat when you add in some context.

Have a safe and happy Guy Fawkes!