Why is My CV Not Working for Me?

The very first thing to tell you is that it is not always your CV which is stopping you from getting interviews. By that I mean that perhaps the market is very slow when you are looking, or you are not applying for the roles that you are most likely to be a good fit for. Of course your recruitment consultant can help to explain the current market and assist you to apply for the right roles. These are our top CV pointers as to why the CV might not be working and how to fix it.

Is it an essay or a CV?

When an employer is sifting through CV’s, they will typically do a first pass and then a detailed review with the ones they have shortlisted. This means that they will give a minimum amount of time initially, so your CV needs to quickly stand out. A CV should be 2-3 pages, beyond that it becomes overly burdensome for a client to read. Remember – you will have an opportunity to tell the employer more about what you have done at interview.

Who did it?

Employers recognise that you will have worked in teams, and teamwork is important. However they also want to know that you can work on your own, and deliver business benefit on your own. Therefore make sure what you have done is very clean. Do not be afraid to say you did something!

Has this been spell checked?

There is no excuse for spelling and grammar errors. If writing is not your strength, get a friend to read it over. Mistakes in the CV are often viewed very dimly by employees as they wonder if you will be equally sloppy at work.

Missing information

There are key sections which any CV should have. If these are missing, you are making life difficult for the employer. We are referring to employment history, education, professional training/qualifications and very often a personal profile at the top.

Photos and personal content

This matter is subjective but over the years I have seen some weird and wonderful CVs. I personally do not think a photo is appropriate for facilities management roles. However if you are set on including one, it should be a professional looking shot, not with you on the beach holding a cosmopolitan. By personal content I am referring to things like pointing out that you are married with 4 kids, holiday in Devon, and have a dog. Of course any employer wants to see the human and personable aspects of candidates, but I do not think the CV is the right place for this.

Is this an art project?

Keep the formatting neat, tidy, and professional. Avoid bright colours, big borders and such like. You might think it will help your CV stand out; but not in the way you were probably hoping for.

In Summary

As already alluded to, some of these comments are subjective. They are tips based on what we have seen has worked and not worked over years of working within the facilities management recruitment industry.

To access this expert insight, download our helpful resource below and we will guide you through the dos and don’ts of CV writing.

The Perfect CV - Questions, Answers and Tips

The job search is increasingly simple. Online search engines such as Google, social media engines such as LinkedIn and jobs boards such as Reed.co.uk and Monster have left candidates with an array of jobs to choose from like which they have never seen before.

The CV stage is somewhat harder. The CV is one of the two most important short documents of your career, it can make it, or it can break it.

Download Now