Here at Straco Towers we’re putting Simon, our resident expert and MD, in the firing line and giving you the chance to pick his brain, asking him questions that will assist you on your career journey.

This week we were asked by Donald*, a Business Development Manager from another planet, how he could stand out from the crowd and get noticed through his CV.

We turned to Simon for his advice, and he offered the following top 5 tips to achieve the perfect CV;

1. Show off your skills – Sell yourself in your initial overview – what is it you can offer a potential employer? Make sure you include your key skills, attributes and a brief career overview to draw them in and want to read more.  Remember, it isn’t necessary to include personal details such as gender or DOB, add a picture or go into what you do outside the office, in fact, it’s better not to give them the chance to discriminate.
2. It’s all in the details – All you need is your name (location is handy too!) heading the page, followed by a concise overview of what you can offer, and then your employment history (starting with your most recent job). Include dates and don’t hide a job you might have been let go from as you always get found out – you also don’t need to include that job you had at school!  Finally, add your education to the mix and voila, you have a CV!
3. Simplicity is key – Always keep your CV simple and concise, it should be no longer than 2 pages – employers will initially skim read a CV to pick out key words, they don’t need War and Peace! (See what we did there?!)
4. Check it twice… – The ‘check it twice’ isn’t something that should be used by Santa and his elves, and if you are serious about making that next step you should make the time to ensure that you haven’t made any silly errors. Before the days of computers, I once came across an employer that declined a great candidate for writing their application in blue as opposed to black as instructed. It may sound ruthless, but you need to show that you can follow simple instructions, so good grammar and spelling is key.
5. Finally, be socially aware – Most employers will check social media now to see what kind of person they might be hiring – would you stand up to that test? Be aware of how your personal brand is being portrayed online.  (In other news – did anyone notice Donald Trump’s twitter today?!)

When a Straco consultant represents talent, we can support you with Simon’s top 5 tips to ensure that you have the perfect CV (we know you’re busy with the day job) to make you stand out to our industry contacts. Are you looking for that next challenge?

*In line with our privacy policy we cannot disclose the name of the candidate asking for advice and names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals