When it comes to landing the job of your dreams, you only get one opportunity to make a first impression. You need to make it count! And for you to do that, you need to know about the CV boost. With so many students and graduates on the job hunt, you need to do whatever you can to make sure you stand out from the crowd and be employable to future employers. You may still be a few years away from graduating but it’s never too early to start boosting your CV. Take a look at this guide to find out how. In today’s competitive job market, it’s difficult to score your dream job with stellar grades alone. You need to put in some extra work to make sure you stand out from the crowd. As an international student, you may not be able to get a job without a work visa but there are plenty of other ways to build up your resumé during your degree. These tips are guaranteed to boost your CV and bring you one step closer to landing that job you’ve always wanted.
Here are some tips to help you achieve that:
Get a Part-time Job
In most countries, you’re allowed to work a certain number of hours on a student visa. Even if you take on a job that’s not related to what you want to do, later on, it shows that you’re capable of juggling different things at once and have a good work ethic. Part-time jobs are great experiences in the working world, that would make you look more impressive to your future employers. Having previous employment (even if it’s in a completely unrelated field) demonstrates that you know how things work outside the “university world”. Many companies offer short work experience placements to give students an insight into day-to-day operations. Contact the company you’re interested in and ask if they will take you on for a week or two. While these placements are usually unpaid, you learn lots of new things, meet people in the industry, and prove to future employers that you’re committed to the career path you’ve chosen.
Take on a Leading Role in a Society or Club for CV boost
True, simply being a member of your University’s football team for example, probably will not give your CV much of an edge over your peers, but taking on a leadership role within the organization certainly will. From it, you will gain valuable skills that are bound to impress potential employers. Having a take-charge attitude is a trait that’s highly valued by employers. As an active member of the student union, you show that you take matters into your own hands instead of sitting around and waiting for things to change. Make sure you highlight what you’ve achieved on your CV, be it launching a campaign or running for a high-profile university role.
Volunteer
Participate in volunteer work! Not only is volunteering a rewarding experience but it also makes your CV stand out. It will help you gain important experiences and show that you care about improving the lives of others. Most universities, advertise volunteering opportunities online, so take a look and get involved!
Write for the student newspaper
If you’re thinking about pursuing a career in journalism, you should definitely consider joining your university’s student newspaper. When applying for jobs in such a competitive field, having practical experience is crucial. As a student journalist, you’ll gain plenty of skills that will make you stand out among all the other graduate job seekers. Even if you’re not interested in being a journalist, writing for the college paper will give you a great experience in researching, interviewing and being very resourceful. And most importantly, you’ll also have lots of fun finding new stories.
Learn a New Skill
Use your holiday breaks to learn useful skills that would look good on your CV. You could choose to sign up for a language course or become an expert in website designing or do learn something else. Such courses are often offered by your university and are a lot cheaper than they would be elsewhere, so make the most of your student discount to widen your skillset.
Do Research
If you are not yet entirely sure of what you want to end up doing, do some research on a couple of fields you might be interested in.
Be Active on Social Media
Social media is becoming more and more essential, and knowing how to use it, is considered a big plus by employers. Hence, build up a strong social media presence across different platforms and include the links to your accounts in your CV for potential employers to see. A little advice please: ALWAYS make sure there is nothing on your profiles that you would not want your potential employer to see!
Do Not Forget Your Studies
When putting in all this extra work to boost your CV, don’t start neglecting your studies. Having lots of work experience will make you stand out for jobs BUT employers also care about your grade, so do not forget your studies. These tips will only help you to boost your CV but if it comes to presenting its a different ball game altogether. The way presents yourself to your potential employer matter a lot. That is why in the article we have done you the liberty of highlighting 7 Effective Ways to Make Your CV Stand Out.
Effective Ways to Make Your CV Stand Out.
Start strong
Start with a summary of your skills and key accomplishments. This will attract the recruiter and grab their attention from the outset. This personal profile is an important part of your CV and tells the recruiter exactly who you are, so you want to make the right impression. Here is an example: “I am an enthusiastic, hardworking and committed individual with a proven track record of designing websites and creating databases. I have strong technical skills, as well as excellent interpersonal skills. I am eager to be challenged in order to grow and expand on the skillset I have gained through my experience in the IT sector.”
Emphasize results rather than responsibilities
Instead of just listing your past responsibilities, make your CV stand out by emphasizing your results, using quantifiable data to show your accomplishments. So for example, instead of saying “I helped to increase social media engagement for Company X”, write “I increased social media engagement by 38% for Company X”.
Customize for the job you want
Respond directly to the job description and explain exactly why you are the candidate for the role. You can do this by relating your accomplishments to the elements of the job role. Employers want candidates to understand the role they are applying for, and the more you can demonstrate this, the more your CV will stand out. It might take longer for you to write your CV, especially when applying for a large number of roles, but it if it helps you to find your perfect position then it is time well spent!
Highlight changes and growth to boost your CV
In your CV, you should focus on your personal development. Show how you have grown and changed in your roles, and the accomplishments you have achieved. This will show the recruiter that you have learned a lot from your past positions and that you are committed to learning and expanding your skillset.
Demonstrate that you are connected for CV boost
Whether it be at university or in past job roles, you will have met an array of different people. Make sure this comes through. Networking displays that you have strong communication skills and this is something that employers value greatly.
Show industry insight
An awareness of the industry you are applying for will show the recruiter that you have the ability to stay on top of trends. You will be a lot more attractive to employers if you are able to demonstrate knowledge of the industry, so make sure you are up to date with any news and industry changes. This will also help you if you reach the interview stage.
Use power words
Using power words will emphasize your accomplishments and will give your CV additional impact. Include words such as adaptable, innovative, implemented, and achieved for each of your roles, and follow up with impressive results or outcomes which demonstrate what you have delivered. Many companies use database software to filter out candidates who don’t use certain keywords, so make sure you study the job description and know what the recruiter is looking for.
CONCLUSION on CV boost
Creating the perfect CV can be quite time-consuming, but it is your opportunity to show off your accomplishments and skills to the employer. The more you study the job description and the industry, the better equipped you will be to make your CV stand out. We hope these CV tips have helped you, and good luck with your job search!
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