With the internet being inundated with various CV templates that are readily available with the click of a mouse, it is often difficult to establish what it really takes to let your CV stand out from the rest. Is it the use of “smart” words, or perhaps a fancy font that separates the wheat from the chaff?

In her article, Five Things You Must Include on Your Resume, published on www.dummies.com Laura Larimer of Abshier House writes
that the following elements must be present in your CV to attract the attention of a recruitment officer:

• Contact details: Believe it or not – people have actually left off their contact details on their CV. Ideally, contact details should appear right underneath your name at the top of your CV.
• Keywords: Given that your CV is submitted to online websites these days, you must make sure it contains the right keywords that can easily be picked up by search engines. Make sure the description of your job contains key words that match keywords that appear in the job advertisement.
• Career summary: Make sure you list all your experience, training and accomplishments that are relevant and that will increase your chances to get a job offer.
• Work prospects: If your career prospects match the company’s needs it will increase your chances of getting the job. Make sure your CV clearly indicates what your needs are in terms of career growth.
• Awards, recognitions and industry-specific training: These aspects give merit to your CV as long as the recruitment officer regards them as relevant to the job you are applying for.