A small edit can make a large impact

There are plenty of tips and tricks for writing a persuasive CV. Making a few tweaks and chops to your job history is a powerful one.

If we've reformatted your job history on your CV, it's for the best, trust us. Here are just a few reasons why we've made these edits.

To make the recruiter's life easier

In the age of online applications, it's easy for each vacancy to receive hundreds of applicants. It's no wonder that recruiters spend an average of six seconds reviewing a CV before deciding whether the candidate is suitable.

As you can imagine, dense paragraphs aren't an easy read, so we've opted for bullet points and punchy, concise sentences wherever possible. We've also prioritised your recent experience that demonstrates your qualifications for the job. After all, that's exactly what the employers want: proof that you're capable of doing the role you're applying for.

With prospective employers initially scanning CVs so quickly, all of this reformatting will make their lives easier and increase your chances of landing an interview.

To prioritise the last decade of experience

If your job history has been truncated, it's not because your CV writer forgot to include your earlier positions. It's a common misconception that CVs should document your entire career history. Actually, they just need to prove to prospective employers that you're a good fit for the job at hand. As a general rule, CVs should only include the last 10 to 15 years of employment.

We have no doubt that your first-ever job was a key stepping stone to where you are in your career today. But employers don't need to know that. The abilities you have now are much more substantial than back then, so why detract from your current skill set by focusing on the past?

By prioritising the last decade of experience on your CV, you show recruiters your current level of talent. Save the details about earlier positions for your interview, if the employer asks.

To reach an optimal CV length

Does size matter when it comes to your CV? Yes, it does. It's often a crucial factor in whether or not you secure an interview. Remember, you only have six seconds to wow a recruiter with your talent, so best keep it concise.

Two pages are often hailed as the ideal CV length, as it gives you enough space to highlight your strengths without boring or frustrating the recruiter with waffle. Occasionally, CVs do spill over into three pages, but this is usually saved for seasoned professionals that are director-level or above. One-page CVs typically apply to those looking for their first role.

Either way, we've reformatted your job history to achieve the optimal page length that a recruiter expects for someone of your level of ability.

To prevent age discrimination

Despite the 2010 Equality Act protecting certain personal characteristics in the recruitment process, age discrimination is still a reality in today's job market ‒ even if the bias is unconscious.

We've reformatted your job history to reduce the chances of this discrimination, which often entails deleting earlier work experience or minimising certain details. Ultimately, we want to shift a recruiter's attention to what really matters: your value and your talent, not your age.

Through a combination of tactics, we have tweaked and tailored your job history to strengthen your CV and paint you as a talented candidate for the role you're applying for.

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