It’s 2017 and with so much technology at our fingertips, there’s much more job seekers can do than fire out application after application. Nowadays, sending your CV to hundreds of employers isn’t your only option. You have the power to take your job hunting efforts a lot further.
Once you’ve created a fantastic CV, you should be uploading it to online job boards and recruitment websites to boost your chances of finding that dream role. But how can you make sure that your CV is seen by the right people?
How recruiters and employers search CVs
In order to find relevant candidates for their roles, recruiters will use sets of keywords to find CVs. These keywords usually include the desirable skills, industries and qualifications that are given in the job description.
If the keywords that they are searching for don’t appear on your CV, then it won’t be shown in their search results. This is why it is so important for you to include a range of words that are associated with your role, or desired role, in your CV. You don’t want to miss out on hearing about a fantastic opportunity!
How to get your CV seen online
In order to make sure that your CV is appearing in recruiter search results, you should:
1. Use descriptive words that are relevant to the type of role you’re looking for
2. Ensure that your skills are clear for anyone reading your CV
3. Include relevant industry keywords – Recruiters will often be looking for individuals with specific industry experience. If you’ve already got some fantastic experience within an industry and want to continue working within that industry, then be sure to include words that are associated with it.
4. Do not simply list your skills – Writing a bullet-pointed list of your skills doesn’t prove to a recruiter that you have them. It’s better to include your skills within sentences that talk about your responsibilities in your current/previous roles. Keep your sentences concise but do try to explain what you did and how you did it. For help with the skills section on your CV click here.
5. Don’t go overboard – If you’re CV isn’t concise and easy to read once recruiters have found it then you’re not going to get much further. Adding relevant keywords should never compromise the quality of your CV.
6. Keep your CV updated – Recently updated/added CVs tend to appear first in recruiters’ search results. It’s well worth making improvements and adding any additional work experience to your CV where you have uploaded in online.
TOP TIP: Even if you are relatively happy in your current job, it may be worth you keeping your CV registered and updated online. While you may not be looking, a fantastic opportunity may pop up that you would never have known about otherwise.
Uploading your CV to CV-Library
Hundreds of recruiters use CV-Library’s extensive database to find relevant candidates for their roles. Uploading your CV is quick and easy and once you have an account you can also create a profile that employers view.
Bringing it all together
Job seekers put a lot of time and effort into perfecting their CVs, but they don’t always make the most of it. Finding a new role, and a fantastic one at that, is rarely easy so you should do everything you can to boost your chances of finding relevant jobs.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and upload your CV!
