Five ways to get your CV noticed

Image via The Italian Voice on Flickr

Looking to apply for jobs now that your degree is almost finished? Great! Trouble is, you're going up against  a lot of other graduates - from this year and last year.

So, how do you stand out? These days, a simple paper CV doesn't cut the mustard. With so many resources available to you, from Facebook to YouTube and online design packages, there's no reason why you can't be creative and make your CV something that potential employers want to see.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few ideas:


Match your CV to your industry
First things first, what industry are you hoping to go into? If you're looking to go into a creative industry, like advertising, social media, design or film, incorporating some of the skills you have into your CV would be wise.

For example:

• If you want a job in print media, consider making your CV look like a newspaper front cover - highlighting your best points in the headlines. 
• Want a job in visual media? Consider turning your CV into a video. Have a look below for some ideas of how you can do that.
• Considering a job with a management basis? Consider turning your CV into a report, demonstrating how you can help the company with your skills.
• Want a career in maths, or geography? Turn your CV into a series of graphs, or a map of achievements. 

Essentially, you need to think about what skills you want to showcase, then work out how to use them to create your CV.


Use your Design skills
If you're into graphic design, or know someone else who is, considering giving your CV a real design makeover to stand out. Check out some of the suggestions on Mashable, which range from an interactive Facebook page to the infographic below.

Make your CV Social Media savvy
One of the smartest things to do with your CV, is to make it so engaging that it's shared across social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Stumbleupon and YouTube. Graeme Anthony created an interactive video CV - and it went viral. His video spread like wildfire through social media, and he landed a job within a few days.

QR Codes, Business Cards and Websites
If you're willing to invest a little time in creating a CV online (try LinkedIn, or Innovate CV), you could try a little guerrilla marketing. Try going to a business car provider like Moo.com, and getting a QR Code printed on them which links to your website. Then leave your business cards in places that potential employers might visit. For example, you might want to leave some of them on the table of a business park coffee shop, on the seat of a rush hour train or ask a friend who works in a company you want to work for to pop them into the pigeon hole of their employer.

Spelling and grammar checks
So, you've developed your CV idea and created your work of art...now what? Check your grammar and spelling. Then ask someone else to check your grammar and spelling. Then ask someone ELSE to check it for you.

Don't underestimate the importance of good grammar and spelling. It could give you the edge over those who don't know the difference between their, there and they're.

How Twitter can land you a job

Image via Wikipedia

Chances are, you’re on Facebook. You might have a Linked In profile too. And there’s a possibility you’ve indulged in a bit of tweeting from time to time. At the moment, you’re probably using your social media accounts to organise your social life, keep up a running commentary of Britain’s Got Talent, or keep connected with your nearest and dearest.

But did you know your Twitter account could land you a job?

Here are ten tips for Twitter success in the job market.

1) Desperate to work for a certain company? Follow them on Twitter. More and more companies use Twitter as a first port of call to advertise their vacancies.

2) Use that Twitter bio to pimp yourself out. That little space should be your sales pitch, and it’s often the deciding factor for whether people will follow you or not. Give them a reason to follow you. Describing your favourite sandwich filling or revealing the name of your cat is not what employers are looking for (unless the employer is Marmite. Or the RSPCA.)

3) Consider posting a TwitCV. Squeeze your experience, ambitions and skills into a tweet (leaving room so others can retweet you) and you might just catch the eye of that perfect employer.

4) Use the link in your profile for your online portfolio. There are a few free options about, like extendr.com, and you could always link to your LinkedIn page or blog if you prefer.

5) Communicate! Chat to other people, use it as a networking tool and share other people’s content. You never know what opportunities you could pick up from these new contacts. A friendly, informative tweeter is always more likely to get a follow.

6) Check your spelling and grammar. Install a dictionary to your browser and make sure you use it! Consider installing After The Deadline too for a final check. Twitter is full of journalists, PRs and bloggers, and they can spot bad grammar a mile off.

7) Got a blog or website? Tweet your latest posts (2-3 times a day to catch different time zones). Your followers can then easily access your ‘About Me’ and ‘Hire Me’ pages.

8) Search for hashtags and keywords relevant to your chosen career area, read up and share as much content as you can. Basically, if you want a career in a certain field, you’ll need to prove that you know your stuff and that you’re constantly learning. Consider signing up to an edition of paper.li, which gives you a daily roundup of content related to your Twitter account or keyword.

9) Don’t overshare. Twitter is social, but a potential employer can see what you’re saying, and many employers now do a social media search before inviting candidates to interview. Try to keep your hangover/relationship/bored statuses to Facebook when possible.

10) Try a Twitter job search engine, like TwitJobSearch.com, which can help you find the latest jobs that agencies and employers have tweeted about.

Don't forget, you can follow RUSU on Twitter too!

How LinkedIn can land you a job

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Earlier this month, we shared with you our top tips for getting a job, graduate or other, using Twitter.

But LinkedIn can be handy too!

More and more employers are now using LinkedIn to source candidates. Therefore, it’s important that you keep your profile up to date at all times.

• Use the recommendations section. Asking previous employers for a recommendation on LinkedIn can be a bit embarrassing, but a stream of testimonials on your LinkedIn page look impressive and show that you’re proactive.
• Fill the ‘specialities’ area with keywords relating to the area you hope to work in. If someone is searching for a marketing assistant, and you’ve got ‘marketing’ in your specialities, you’re more likely to end up in their search results.
• Get involved in the groups. There’s a group for anything (and if there isn’t, create one!), and you can use it to discuss topics, share your own links and potentially spot job opportunities.
• If you’ve got a blog, link it up to your page so visitors can see your content. BlogLink, an internal LinkedIn gadget, will stream your posts for easy access.
• Link to your Twitter page – but don’t publish your tweets to your profile. Your LinkedIn statues should generally be professional.
• Use your LinkedIn status to advertise yourself. Tell people you’re looking for a particular role, or share your latest achievements.
• Make contacts! Send a contact request to all your email contacts.  If you’ve got a business card or email signature, add your LinkedIn URL to it.
• Many businesses now have a company page, where they add their latest vacancies, and detail who has left the company and who has joined. Handy for spotting a potential opportunity.
• There’s also a section on the right that says ‘Jobs You May Be Interested In’ that does exactly what it says on the tin. Plenty of companies advertise their vacancies on the LinkedIn job board.

What tips would you give to job hunters on LinkedIn?