5 tips to make your CV pop – from a recruiter who’s seen it all

PinkNews’ own recruiter shares tips on what you can do to make your CV stand out from the crowd.

When looking for a new job, no matter the experience or role, it is important to have an eye-catching CV and an engaging cover letter to set you apart from the rest of the talent pool. A solid resume should have a foundation that includes your past work experience, accomplishments, and relevant technical and soft skills that you possess. Also known as a resume in the US,  a good CV highlights what you have done and also what you can contribute to a new role. 

While the job-seeking experience continues to shift and more recruiting takes place over platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn, having a thought-out and well-presented CV remains a constant. Advances in AI, specifically ChatGPT have made it possible to quickly churn out a resume, but remember that there will always be a human having the final say on giving you a job offer, so make your CV personal, relevant and authentic.

Aside from the obvious must-haves in a CV like personal summary, work experience and skill set, there are some approaches to presenting yourself in PDF form that recruiters and hiring managers are looking for.

5 tips for your CV from a PinkNews recruiter 

We tapped our own recruitment expert, Izzy Francke, Talent Acquisition Manager here at PinkNews, for some tips on creating a stand-out CV and some details that she looks out for when combing through CVs and cover letters.

Make it readable and relevant! 

We don’t need to see every accolade you’ve achieved in school or every position you’ve ever had. It’s refreshing to read a CV with a few experiences and well-crafted bullet points, rather than a two or three-page thesis.

Include key results that you have achieved

Be specific! For example, it’s cool to read that you are “a go-getter who helped grow the company’s social media.” but it tells a recruiter much more if you can include the percentage or amount of growth you were responsible for, and which channels and accounts specifically. 

Make sure that your mission matches the company’s 

Say you are applying for PinkNews, which exists both as a media company and to empower, inform and inspire members of the LGBTQ+ community: we would like to see relevant information about why this is important to you. It will strengthen your application and show you are genuinely dedicated. The same will applies to other companies – they will want to see how your experience relates to their mission. 

Don’t be shy

This is your time to self-advocate! We will discuss certain experiences from your CV in your interview, so please do not outright lie in your embellishments but do not be afraid to use your CV to highlight your key results and skills.

Include your essential relevant and transferable skills

It is good practice to check the job description and to echo some of the words used in the responsibilities and skills wanted sections. If you can take out some of a recruiter’s guessing work, that will work to your advantage.

As your career continues to move ahead, both in where you work and the new skills you pick up along the way – make sure your CV moves along with you. Once you’ve got the foundations set, continue to update it at least once a year. It is much easier to update an existing resume than needing to start all over again.