It’s a new year, a fresh start, so when could be a better time to look for a new job? Granted, with the buoyancy and optimism that goes hand-in-hand with the start of a year, January and February seem like an appropriate time to look for a new job.

However, research shows that at least one in five colleagues are planning on looking for a different role in the new year, meaning competition amongst candidates is stiffer than ever.

This means one thing – your CV really does have to stand out if you’re going to be in with a chance of landing that golden job.

Fortunately, you’re in the right place as Adria Solutions provides some CV tips for 2018 that every jobseeker should know about.

Feature last year’s achievements and successes

It’s a new year, it’s time to review your achievements and successes over the last 12 months and feature them proudly on your CV. Whether it was gaining a new qualification, an internal promotion, or even a personal achievement such as beating your Personal Best in a race, update your CV so it features last year’s achievements.

Remove any ‘fluff’ from your CV

As the years race by, some of the jobs that feature on your resume may be getting a tad out of date. Now’s the time to update your CV, replacing older, less relevant positions with your latest jobs, experiences and achievements.

Generally speaking, employers don’t want to waste time sieving through an unnecessary lengthy CV, so now’s the time to update it, remove any ‘fluff’, and keep it relevant and concise.

Avoid being generic

Every job is different, as is every employer. A mistake many jobmakers often make, typically to save time and effort, is to send a generic CV to every job they apply for.

Taking the time to tailor your CV for the specific role and company you are applying to could make the difference between getting offered an interview and being put on the rejection pile.

Read the job specification thoroughly and tweak your CV so it’s designed specifically for that job. For example, if the job requires experience with specific software, be sure to highlight how and where you have worked with that software. Likewise, if the role is asking for team players, note how and why you are experienced in being part of a team.

Don’t be dismissive over your CV’s design

A CV’s design is an important aspect of your resume that shouldn’t be overlooked. A good CV design is eye-catching, clean and easy-to-navigate and read. Whilst large, bold fonts and subheadings shouldn’t be too dominant, they should be subtly incorporated into your CV to create emphasis and ease of navigation.

The most effective CVs look great on both the screen and as physical pieces of paper. They should however be mobile-friendly and readable from a mobile device, as employers are increasingly viewing applications and CVs from mobile devices.

Proofread your CV and proofread it again!

Errors and typos, not matter how small, never look good and will do little in portraying you in a professional light. Whilst typos can easily fall through the net, checking your CV for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and other mistakes will help ensure it gets sent typo-free.

And don’t just proofread it once but check it twice, as errors can have a tendency to go unnoticed. Therefore, the more it’s reread, the better. Or, better still, get someone else to read it for you, as a second pair of eyes can work wonders in fishing out those hard-to-notice mistakes.

Are you looking for a fresh challenge this year? If you are, and would like assistance with finding a position within IT, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert team of IT recruiters. We can help you find the digital job you are looking for.