Simple Steps To Make Your CV Stand Out!
In a competitive job market, your CV is your first opportunity to grab a recruiter’s attention and showcase why you’re the right fit. At The OPRA Group, we review hundreds of CVs every week, and we know exactly what makes us stop and think, ‘We need to speak to this person’.
Here are our top tips to make sure your CV rises to the top of the pile.
1. Lead With Your Strongest Skills
Recruiters skim CVs quickly, so make your strengths obvious from the start. Use a short opening profile to highlight:
• Your profession or specialism
• Your most relevant skills
• A career achievement you’re proud of
Example: ‘Qualified Dental Nurse with 5 years’ experience in busy NHS and private practices. Skilled in chairside support, patient care, and cross-infection control’.
2. Make Every Line Count
• Avoid long lists of job duties, instead, focus on what you achieved in each role.
• Instead of: ‘Responsible for managing stock’, try: ‘Introduced new stock management process, reducing costs by 15%’.
• Numbers and results give impact.
3. Keep It Relevant
• Focus on experience that relates to the role you’re applying for.
• Older or unrelated roles can be shortened, but don’t leave unexplained gaps.
• If you’re changing careers, highlight transferable skills.
4. Keep It Clean and Clear
• Use a simple, professional layout with consistent font and spacing.
• Stick to 2 pages (3 max for senior roles).
• Use bullet points to make information easy to scan.
5. Show Your Personality (The Right Way)
A CV doesn’t have to be boring. Include interests or voluntary work if they reflect positive traits such as teamwork, leadership, or creativity.
6. Check, Check and Check Again
Spelling and grammar mistakes create a bad first impression. Always proofread, or ask someone else to.
Your CV is your personal marketing tool, make sure it shows you at your very best. If you’d like a professional opinion, our recruitment team at The OPRA Group offers free CV advice to help you stand out and land your ideal role.
Send your CV to https://theopragroup.com/contact-us/ today and let’s get your career moving!
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