If someone had told you ten years ago that by 2017 we would be inaugurating Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America, and mourning the end of a two-term office led by a Hawaiian born, African-American President whose wife enjoyed carpool karaoke with James Corden and shopping with Ellen, would you have believed them?

Okay, so you may have questioned what was meant by ‘carpool karaoke’, but that aside you probably would have found it quite difficult to believe! The point is, we never know what the future is going to bring. As students, we all wonder about our future. We invest a great deal of time, effort and money into our education, and as our time at university draws to a close, we begin to worry about what life will look like outside the safety net of the lecture theatre.

We ask ourselves how we can stand out from the crowd and ensure that we find our dream role. The best place to start? Your CV of course.

Tips for creating a standout CV

Precision, precision, precision

Remember that your CV is generally the first point of contact between you and a future employer. You want to make a good impression. Avoid vague sentences and always triple-check your spelling and grammar.

Fatal attraction

Employers see a lot of CVs. You need to make sure that they are engaged with yours. Having an aesthetically pleasing CV really helps. Bullet points and a well-chosen font type can go a long way, so get creative and steal their attention. If unsure ask a third-party to have a look.

It’s all about YOU

Okay so you took part in a group project in one of your modules that scored an excellent mark. You have described the project in great detail on your CV, however you have failed to disclose your specific role within the team. An employer doesn’t want to hear about what everyone else did-they want to know about you, so focus on you. What skills did you bring to the task? This is not the time to hold back or to be shy. Show the potential employer how great you are – just remember to be honest at the same time. Any employer worth working for will see through embellishments as quick as you can say ‘fired’!

Keep it relevant

Don’t send the same CV to every job opening you see. Make sure you tailor your CV to the position that you are applying for. Show your future employer that you are the perfect fit.

And finally…

“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.” – Barack Obama

– Derval McCormack, Student Careers Assistant