Although there are many jobs, it can be hard to get interviews for your ideal job. And if you are looking to get a better job, you need to understand how to use your CV.

When it comes to standing out, you might think you have an advantage. But there are so many qualified candidates, and employers have a lot of choices. You need know how to stand out if you want to get the interview to get a better job.

But there are some useful tips you can follow to get more interviews and get hired for your ideal job!

Optimise your CV

When you apply for a job, make sure that your resume is updated and error-free. It should be concise, clear, and relevant. A good resume will show that you have the skills and experience they are looking for.

This means using bullet points and keeping each section clear and concise.

You should also aim to keep your CV short, ideally 2 or 3 pages long. It might be a challenge to get your experience across within this framework, but it is a good exercise in optimizing your resume.

Cover letters

Yes, you do need a cover letter. So, what do you put in a cover letter?

Your cover letter should be personalized with details about how your skills would benefit the company. There are some clever tips to optimise your cover letter and get more job interviews.

You do need to change your cover letter for each job application, but you can just make some tweaks to change your CV.

Research the company

You should also research the company before applying for the job. Make sure that you know what they do, who their customers are, what their values are, so that you can tailor your application accordingly.

You can do this on social media, for example on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

Use keywords in your resume

When it comes to putting a CV together, often it is important to make it searchable. In fact, these days recruiters use software to pick the best candidates. So that means you need to understand what they are looking for.

This means you should use keywords such as ‘customer service’, ‘B2B’, ‘B2C’, ‘task management’ or ‘personal assistant’.

Obviously, this depends on the role you are applying for. But by looking at the job specification you can usually make sense of the search terms your recruiter will be looking for.

If you are looking for a better job, put your CV on the job sites and be active. A recruiter will find you if you have a good resume.

Be honest

You should never lie on your CV, or as part of a job application. The problems if you are found out as a liar can have big consequences, so always tell the truth on your CV.

But… There are some methods you can use to ‘improve’ on your truth. This usually means using words to embellish slightly your experience.

As an example, if you have worked in a restaurant, you can usually say something like:

“Face to face customer service, managing customer satisfaction, delivering food and beverage products in a timely fashion. Cash handling and invoice processing. Maintaining a high level of cleanliness and hygiene. Working as part of a team to achieve a common goal. Task management.”

So, you can see, just working a restaurant can yield many different experiences. No need to lie!

So, if you want to get more interviews, and get a better job, follow these simple tips.