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Top tips to get your CV noticed

By Niamh Dwyer, Chairperson of the Kerry Branch of Guidance Counsellors
Whether you are starting out in your career or applying for a new role, it is essential that you take time to look carefully at your CV.
In the majority of cases your CV will be the first introduction a potential employer has to you, so it needs to impress! It needs to be clear, concise, and accurate, and present the best version of your professional self. It must also reflect an obvious link to the job specification. Regardless of the amount of experience you do or don’t have, you will give yourself a great chance of getting noticed if you follow the following tips when compiling or updating your CV.
It is helpful to look at templates online for ideas on layout and on language to use, but my advice is to start with a blank Word document and build your own original CV so that you avoid any copyright or formatting issues when you want to make edits. Keep the layout simple. Use a font that is clear and the 12-point size works best.
Keep it to two pages if at all possible. Don’t make the mistake of including every job you have had, particularly if they are not relevant. Always focus on the role you are applying for and select the information that the employer needs to know if they are to consider you as a suitable candidate for the position in their company or organisation. This means that it’s very likely you will need to make some changes to your CV each time you use it. Think of it as personalising it to each particular job description and specification. Make sure you use keywords linked to the job itself and the skills and qualities required. This is to ensure that your CV gets noticed in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) which is used by lots of larger companies and organisations to scan through applicant CVs before they are looked at in more detail by the Human Resource Department.
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
At the beginning of the CV include your name, address, contact details and URL link for your LinkedIn profile if you have one. Next, add in a professional profile, a short paragraph which showcases the most important skills and competencies you want the employer to be aware of. Again link this to the job specification here and really choose your language carefully so that your brilliance and suitability to the role is obvious.
If you are starting out in your career it is best to lead with your education or qualifications, whereas if you have lots of experience it is better to lead with your employment history. Also, include other relevant experience such as volunteering or side projects you have been involved in. Include experiences which showcase your strengths and competencies as well as your willingness to go the extra mile or think outside the box. Your aim is to impress the person reading the CV so that they are interested in finding out more by calling you for interview. When describing your work experience, give more than the job title and tasks or responsibilities. Use achievement statements to demonstrate what you achieved in the role, as this gives the employer evidence of your competency. For example, “Managed and prioritised movement and positioning of equipment, vehicles, and crew to ensure maximum efficiency and minimum disruption”. You don’t need to include the details of your referees unless you are asked to do so, simply add in the sentence, ‘References available on request’.
ASK THESE QUESTIONS
It may take several drafts to get your CV right. At the end of the process ask yourself the following questions:
* Is this an accurate, positive and impressive reflection of me as a potential employee?
* Have I linked my experience and expertise to the specific role I am applying for?
* Will this CV stand out from the crowd?
Once you are happy with the content and layout then proofread it very carefully and get others to do so too, they may spot mistakes that you don’t. Remember you want to make the best possible impression with this CV, so the finished product must be grammatically correct.
Your CV is like a working document, you will continue to edit it as you progress along your career path. Investing time in it now will serve you well in the long run, but it may also open the door to that new opportunity you have been looking for, sooner rather than later.
Niamh Dwyer is a Guidance Counsellor in Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, and Chairperson of the Kerry Branch of Guidance Counsellors. She is also a Career Consultant - For details see www.mycareerplan.ie or follow @mycareerplan on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
News
Jessie Buckley to perform live on RTE this Friday 22nd September

This Culture Night, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh will present an hour-long live music and arts programme from Dún Lúiche in the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Actress and singer Jessie Buckley has been added to the list of stellar musicians who will perform with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra on the night. Jessie will perform a special rendition of a Sinéad O’Connor song in tribute to the late artist.
Jessie commented: “I am very honoured to return to Culture Night 2023 to remember Sinéad O Connor with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Sinéad was such a huge influence on so many women in Ireland and across the world, her courage, her mind, her politics and her intense beauty and soul. She was a warrior to humanity. I remember hearing her for the first time and feeling her uncompromising need to connect and affect. Recognising what couldn’t be said and speaking it out loud. I am so grateful for all her fire and all her love. It is such a privilege to return to Ireland for RTÉ Culture Night in Donegal to sing a song of gratitude for Sinéad and her family and friends.”
Other artists performing with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra include The Murder Capital, R&B singer and 2FM Rising star Aby Coulibaly and Irish-based Ukrainian musician Olesya Zdorovetska.
Friday 22nd September, 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
News
N22 Killarney to Faranfore road further delayed
The revealing of the preferred route corridor for the construction of the new Killarney to Farranfore road has been delayed – again. Four potential routes for the N22 Farranfore-Killarney project […]

The revealing of the preferred route corridor for the construction of the new Killarney to Farranfore road has been delayed – again.
Four potential routes for the N22 Farranfore-Killarney project were identified and were put out to public consultation in May 2021. These have now been whittled down to just one.
It was previously promised that the preferred route would be published late last year.
This dragged on in to the Spring and there is still no sigh of the preferred route being revealed.
A recent Kerry County Council meeting a council official explained that there are further funding requirements to allow the council complete various reports and investigations required before the road can move to its next phase.
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