CV Tips

Your CV needs to be tailored to the role you are applying for. At Iceberg CVs, all our CVs are bespoke and tailored to the role. We achieve this by fine-tuning your profile statement, including additional key words, and selecting the right role title. Importantly, we always ensure your achievements leverage the skills, competencies and experience required in the prospective job description.

Usually a CV should be no more than two page of A4 and sometimes, if justifiable, a little more. We develop short, punchy and impressionable CVs rather than an essay of your life! Remember, the CV just gets you interview – you can add more colour then.

A short, focused, impactful personal statement is the ‘introduction’ to your CV. It instantly allows recruiters and hiring managers to understand who you are, what you can offer, and your fit to the prospective role.

In the few seconds that a recruiter or hiring manager has to scan your CV, it is vital that they don’t spot any mistakes. If they do, then they may well discard your CV. We check your CV for the correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, formatting and font, and for other common errors.

If a recruiter or hiring manager spots a gap in your CV they will automatically become suspicious. If you have taken a career break then say so. If you have been out of work then be creative and say, for example, that you completed a course or undertook some training. You will need to ensure you explain this at interview, of course, so don’t lie. We check all our CVs to ensure there is no unexplainable gaps.

There is a big difference between putting a positive spin on an achievement and deliberately concealing the truth (lying)! Prospective employers will check your background, references, and the validity of your CV. We will quiz you on the accuracy of your achievements, dates of employment and any gaps. We will also check details against your existing LinkedIn profile.

Recruiters and hiring managers like to read a CV that is ‘easy on the eye’ – so avoid garish fonts, bold tables or anything that looks unprofessional or amateurish. All our CVs are formatted to be readable and attractive to the eye. Clearly content is important, but content can be very unappealing. We specialise in showcasing your strengths and ensuring that these are instantly visible. We offer a few different fonts depending on customer needs.

Recruiters use software to undertake keyword searches (e.g. a search for “IT-enabled business change” or “Board-level”). A good test is to ‘Google’ a job title and see what specific words come back. We specialise in ensuring your CV has the right keywords specific to the sector and role you are seeking.

It is vital that your CV includes numerical achievements as they grab the readers attention and help to differentiate you from your competitors. Make them real, impressionable and, importantly, relative. We ensure your CV doesn’t simply including “sales of £Xm”, for example, but instead is shown as “£Xm sales, over Y period and Z% higher” than the target or your peers’ performance.

Keep your CV current. Recruiters will pass over out of date CVs and ones that are inaccurate – put simply, they reflect badly on you! hem. At Iceberg CVs, we offer a free 12 month updating service for all our customers. keeping your CV fresh and current.