The Point Of Interests In Your CV Sections

The Point Of Interests In Your CV Sections, education and work experience are the pillars of a strong CV, but are you neglecting your 'interests' section? If so, you may be missing a trick. Use this section to give your CV that extra edge, and adhere to these definitive dos and don't!

DO...

Include an interests section! This is a rare opportunity to show your individuality. An intriguing or impressive interest will make your recruiter remember you after a long and laborious session of screening CVs. Employers also want to be assured that you have a work-life balance and won't crack under pressure.

Focus on interests that attest to your suitability. Cite activities that demonstrate qualities such as creativity,
interpersonal skills and teamwork where desirable.

Compensate for weak points elsewhere in your CV. If you lack work experience, have gaps in employment or frequently changed jobs in the past, there may be doubts about your commitment or reliability. Prove your reader wrong by telling them about captaining your local football team for three years, or how you've worked hard to master a new language.

Show a different side of you. While other sections of your CV should focus firmly on fitting a person specification typical of your role without distracting the reader, here you are free to paint a more diverse picture. So if you're a data analyst who is also multilingual and knows how to code, let the reader know here.

Research your audience. Be resourceful and identify what your interviewer or prospective employer likes to do (Google is your friend here). Common interests can be used to strike a chord. Does the organisation go on regular away days? Find out what they get up to and list any leisure activities that make you compatible. Particularly amongst creative start-ups, there is often a company culture that you will be expected to engage with - inside and outside of work - so be sure demonstrate your social side.

DON'T...

Bore your reader. This is not just another perfunctory list to bulk up your CV - rather, it is an opportunity to entice your audience. Simply naming interests without elaborating will only make you more anonymous. No extra points for feigning an interest in everything and anything.

Court controversy. If in doubt, play it safe. You may be proud of your family history of fox-hunting, but how will the vegan recruiter in HR react? This also works in the opposite direction - you might be passionate about a particular cause or movement and that is admirable, but beware of isolating those who don't share your view. Mention politics at your peril!

Disclose anything you're not comfortable with. You may prefer to keep your work and personal life separate, with good reason. It's your call. So if you have an alter ego in a rock band and mention this in your application, don't get upset when you're expected to sing a tune at the Christmas party. Explain truly condition.

A CV Distribution or Resume Distribution Service?

One that is very worthwhile as your professional CV will open more doors than you may think are there to be opened. However you are now faced with the decision as to how to get your CV into the hands of the key people in your industry sector.

It's always worth targeting the key decision makers through sending them CVs but unless you do this properly, many will be rejected and binned, particularly in the teeth of a recession. For a start, the popular job portals like Monster and job site are worthwhile pursuing.

Using this approach alone is far too generalizes- your CV may hit the mark and it may not- if it does, happy days but what if it does not. If you're a bit short of time or if you want arrow like precision the perhaps you should consider using a CV distribution service like CV Trumpet.

CV Trumpet is a British business.

One of the benefits or running your won business like we do is that we can be completely impartial in recommending businesses. CV Trumpet offers a very highly targeted approach and no little science to the process of getting your CV into the right hands. I'll explain why you should use them in the nest couple of paragraphs.
A couple of reasons to use CV Trumpet.

Firstly, they refuse to charge recruiters to join their service. This means that the recruiter database has grown significantly, not least because of the quality of service that CV Trumpet provides. Another reason that their service is excellent is their ability to get recruiters access to based on salary level, job level, job function, industry and sector and  also by location.

CV Trumpet meet the needs of the higher level or executive recruiter by sending them very specific people who meet the needs of the recruiter.
  
CV Trumpet therefore both attracts and more importantly retains the very best recruiters what this means for you is that is that the distribution service starts from the point of view that you are the one that is important.

CV Trumpet only make money if enough candidates use their CV distribution service and more importantly are happy with it.
CV trumpet wouldn't stay in business if they weren't satisfying their customers, namely job seekers, and not recruiters.

Should you go down this route- and  I suggest very strongly that you do, I am certain that you will be rewarded by a service that does what it says on the tin.