A career coach has revealed her top CV tips to guarantee an interview - and says there's one thing you must do. Vicki Marinker, 50, helps candidates put forward their best selves when applying for a new job.
Using her years of experience, she revealed the top mistakes people make – and the one thing which almost guarantees you an interview. And while some points might seem obvious, other tips might come as a surprise.
Vicki said: “The number one thing I recommend is having a really strong opening profile statement – it should be like your elevator pitch on paper. Keep it short, two or three sentences.
"It’s what you would say if the chief exec was in the lift and you needed to explain exactly what you do, what problem you solve and for whom. It sets the tone and either encourages the reader to carry on reading or stops them in their tracks.”
Vicki’s own career began as a PR consultant before she progressed into recruitment - and then set out as a career coach as a side hustle. However, she says she now has more coaching clients than recruitment clients and is gearing up to become a full-time career coach.
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She says her goal is to help people become the best candidates they can be and help them find a career or new position. Vicki said: “One of most important things when applying for a job online is to keep the formatting as simple as possible due to the Application Tracking System (ATS) used to filter CVs.
“The ATS will read the CV first and tables, logos and symbols mean the bot can’t read the CV properly and therefore it might automatically get rejected. Most recruiters and hiring managers will look at a CV very briefly and then go and look at your LinkedIn profile.
“Your LinkedIn profile is as important if not a little more important than your CV these days for professional roles. I encourage people to use plain English. Write your CV for the person who might not understand it.
“Talk about your achievements, not rewriting a job description and responsibilities – the way to stand out is to describe the situation, task and results you got. Tailor your CV to the job you are applying for – a generic one is fine to be a template but every CV needs to be tailored, use the same language as used in the job description.
“A common mistake is people highlight the things they never want to do again, so highlight the things you want to be famous for instead.”
Vicki’s top CV tips:
1. A strong opening statement is key. Treat this like your elevator pitch.
2. Keep formatting simple – no tables, logos or symbols.
3. A polished LinkedIn profile can be more important than your CV. Let your personality come through online.
4. No dense paragraphs. Use bullet points and short paragraphs
5. Don’t include anything you can’t describe in detail in an interview. Some people say they have responsibility for things that weren’t fully their responsibility
6. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes and get someone else to check it too.
