Workshop Recruitment has a longstanding reputation within the recruitment industry and our consultants have an incredible amount of experience between them. We often get asked how, as a candidate you can stand out to a recruiter so we thought we would share some of our expert advice and ensure that you’re the first candidate that comes to mind when we are looking to fill a new role.

1. Make sure your CV stands out.

Your CV is always going to be the most important thing when you’re looking to change jobs. As Workshop Recruitment’s Director, Colin Walker points out: ‘Make sure your CV is easily readable, has a clean layout and format, and stays within two pages, if possible’. It’s important to carefully read the job spec and make sure that your CV reflects the skills and experience that are required. Consider hiring someone to write your CV professionally if you feel that you aren’t selling yourself to your full potential. Keep your CV in reverse chronological order, with your most recent experience at the top so that it is the first thing that potential employers will read.

2. Spell check is your friend.

If we see spelling errors and bad presentation or grammar on a CV it is much less likely for us to consider that candidate for a role. Even little things like contact details should be double-checked. You’d be surprised at the number of CVs we see where the phone number doesn’t even connect! If you’re wanting an additional opinion outside of your classic Microsoft Spellcheck, Grammarly is a good way to find out if you’ve overlooked any particularly noticeable grammatical errors.

3. Don’t embellish!

Making up information or bending the truth in your CV is never a good idea. You don’t know when you’re going to be asked to prove what you’ve written. Rather look for your transferrable skills and find ways to highlight what you can do without exaggerating.

4. Experience is everything.

Find ways to make sure that your relevant experience stands out. Bradley, our M&E Recruitment Manager, states that experience is his priority when looking for a candidate. ‘I look out for qualifications, the types of jobs the candidate has done, the types of companies they’ve worked for, and how long they have stayed in those positions’.

5. The key is in the keywords.

Something that our whole team resoundingly agrees on is that the most important thing that you can do to stand out is to make sure that your skills and work experience are a clear match for the job that you’re wanting to apply for. As Lucy, one of our Recruitment Consultants, points out, ‘the first thing I do is look for specific keywords that clients have asked for candidates to have on their CV’. Even if you must tailor your CV a little for each position, it’s important to highlight those skills that are required for the role – don’t make us have to search for them!