Tag: cv

Should Hobbies and Interests be on Your CV?

A question that you will inevitably be asked during an interview is, “what are your hobbies and interests outside of work?”. A good way of preparing for this question is to include it in your CV.

There are arguments against including this as part of your CV. Some say that any usual hobbies can ruin your chances. Also that this section takes up space where you should be including more information on your education and career. We disagree and think you should definitely include this!

Having hobbies and interests on your CV shows that you are an interesting human being with something to say. This will help you stand out from the crowd by making your CV more individual.

Some hobbies might even be tranferable to the role you’re applying for, so it is definitely worth mentioning. For example, if outside of work, you are a treasurer for a club, you’ll have the skills and knowledge in cash handling. Maybe you coach a football team at the weekend, this shows you have leadership skills.

The best, and most traditional place to have a section dedicated to your interests outside of work is at the end of your CV. If you’re struggling with putting your CV together, there are lots of guides available out there, just like this one.

If you’re looking for a role in Administration, Hospitality or Construction, please visit our Vacancies page, or give us a call on 0345 241 1000.

 

How to make your CV stand out

Are you looking for a new challenge in 2022? Going back into the job market can be daunting, and it might have been a little while since you last wrote your CV, but we’re here to help! Here are our 5 Top Tips on how to make your CV stand out to future employers.

  1. Keep it simple

    There’s no guide on how long your CV should be but keeping it to two A4 pages will allow you to get everything across, and keep the reader interested. Diluting a CV with too much information will switch them off.

  1. Strong personal statement

    Try avoiding well-worn phrases such as “team-player”, “highly motivated”, and focus on who you are, what you you have to offer, and what you want to achieve.

    Keep it short – your personal statement shouldn’t take up any more than four lines and should be tailored for each job you’re applying for. This will show that you’ve done your research and will go down favourably with your future employer.

  1. Structure it

    CV’s need to follow an easy structure – employers will get lots of applications come through their inbox every day and having the same kind of structure will allow them to find information quicker. The structure should flow like this:

  • Contact Details
  • Personal Statement
  • Skills
  • Roles
  • Education
  • Interests
  1. Spellcheck and grammar

    Employers will notice the small mistakes – to make sure you’ve got everything spot on, read, re-read, get someone else to look at it, or use a free site such as Grammarly to help you.

  1. Cover letter

    If the employer requires a cover letter, you should definitely pen one.

    A cover letter is a great elevator pitch – it should outline why you are the ideal candidate, what you can offer that company, and shows that you’ve gone the extra mile. A cover letter also helps say what isn’t in the CV, for example, if you’re moving to a new area, or maybe you’ve been looking at the company for a while, waiting for a new position to come up. A well-written cover letter will make you stand out and increase the possiblilty of getting your CV read. There are various cover letter templates available online to help you write one such as this one.

There you have it, 5 simple tips on making your CV stand out – Paramount Personnel wish you the best of luck with your job search. If you want to speak to our friendly team, you can call us on 0345 241 1000 or search for new vacancies here.

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