What a CV doesn’t tell your potential employer…

Curriculum Vitae (CV) – Latin for “course of life” is a representation of you, as a suitable candidate for a role you are applying for. The main purpose of a CV is to summarise your skills, education and expertise to successfully sell your abilities to potential employers.

That’s great but there are a few important skills that you can’t put on a CV, like your personality, your communication and soft skills, and whether you would be a perfect ‘fit’ for a company’s culture.

But first, let’s look at what a CV should include…

What goes on a CV?

It is proven that recruiters spend 6-8 seconds reviewing a CV before they decide if it is a suitable candidate. As reported by Standout CV, 80% of CV’s do not get shortlisted by recruiters, meaning they do not make it past the first stage. However, this doesn’t mean to say that CVs are not beneficial, they are. But employers are inundated with applications for posted jobs, so it is crucial to ensure your CV is well put together to improve your chances of getting the interviewer’s attention.

Start strong by summarising your skills and key accomplishments; this attracts the employer and allows you to highlight your growth potential. It is also important to tailor your CV to the position you are applying for.?

It is also important to show industry insight, demonstrating your knowledge and awareness of the industry in which you are applying and your ability to keep up with trends plus your networking skills in your personal statement. Include words and phrases that emphasise your accomplishments and give your CV additional impact, such as adaptable, flexible, team player and over-achiever.

However, according to Flex Jobs, there are 12 things you shouldn’t include within your CV, including your personal information, career objectives, hobbies or interests and soft skills. So, how do you get this information about you, which could be the difference between you and another candidate, in front of an employer?

Why a recruitment agency?

Whether you’re looking to re-enter the workplace or move from your current role, the application process can be daunting and challenging. But going through a recruitment agency can make the process quicker, easier and smoother. The advantage is that your contact at the agency will take your CV, note down your skills, education, qualifications and experience, then delve much deeper into you just by talking to you.

Having shown your previous education and skills, they want to find out a lot more about your character and your personality to really differentiate you from other candidates. They will discover your work ethic, like punctuality, professionalism or a desire to improve. They’ll ask about your views on society, your interests and hobbies. They will dig down to your soft skills, how you communicate and get your message across, the reasons why you left previous jobs and encourage you to open up about your ambitions.

These are the attributes your CV doesn’t tell anyone; but your recruitment agency can. In fact, they are much more likely to find you not just a job, but an organisation that fits you – and you to the employer – perfectly. Not only will an agency tailor job applications to you, but they have access to more job opportunities which you could be missing out on through their relationships with local companies, rather than you having to rely on job search websites.

Our team at Auxato does just that; we get to know you inside and out, not just relying on what we read on your CV.

If you’re searching for a job within communications, marketing or public relations, Auxato is one of the UK’s leading executive recruitment firms for group communications, marketing and corporate affairs.? We pride ourselves in developing career long relationships with our candidates, and employers, supporting them in finding the perfect match. Take a look at our website to view our latest jobs and get in touch to see how we can work together.