We spoke to one of our most advanced principal recruiters here at Oselo to find out his top tips for CV writing, and what recruiters look for in a CV.

Your CV could be what stands between you and your dream job. It should capture your personality, education, work experience, achievements and transferable skills. A one-to-two-page concise CV goes a long way. Employers and recruiters want to be able to glance at your CV and instantly know if your right for the job.

Including keywords in your CV will show the employer you really know what you're talking about. This may stir a bit of a debate, but if your CV is strong and relevant for the job you are applying to, there is no need for a cover letter unless it is a requirement. However, if a cover letter is being submitted, it is a good opportunity to use the keywords embedded in sentences to show you understand the meaning, rather than them listed on your CV.

There are hundreds of ways to design your CV, a good way to think about the design element is to ask yourself what will make me stand out? Employers would have seen thousands of CVs and you need to think about what will make you rememberable. Although not every design of CV is appropriate for every job, you still need to consider what will make you stand out.

“For those going into a developer or designer role, the most supportive element you could add to your CV is an up to date GitHub, personal website or online portfolio showcasing your work.”

Different recruiters may have other opinions on the personal information to include, however with over 5 years' experience the recruiters at Oselo look for:

Full name
Location
Email address
Phone number
Nationality

The layout of a CV and the sections recommended to include will vary on who you speak to. At Oselo we highly recommended and look for the following sections in a CV:

Education
Any qualifications are creditable, even if they are not relevant it shows the employer you have ambition and are willing to further your education.

Work experience
For many candidates, there will be a lot of information which is necessary and relevant to include. However, the name of the company, past/current job titles, with a brief description is enough. The interview is an opportunity for you to elaborate on your previous and current roles in depth; if the employer wants an extended copy of your CV, that can be down to their request.

A project summary is a great way to give a brief overview of a previous or current project which you have been working on. By adding this in, it saves space under work experience allowing you to provide more responsibilities.

The best advice for this section is to show your progression within a company!

Skills
Having relevant transferable skills on a CV is vital information to include. The best way to demonstrate skills is by using a heat meter which clearly shows your level of understanding with the skill. Listing your skills can give the employer the wrong impression of your level of expertise with specific programmes and software's.

You should include any languages other than your native language, even if you are not fluent.

Interests
Although not essential, having your interests on your CV will give the employer an insight into your personality. A good way to showcase your interests on your CV is through the use of icons or infographics as they do not take up too much space, and leaves room for more important information, like education and experiences. This can help some employers determine if they think you are a good culture fit for their company.

Achievements
Having your achievements, certificates, and awards you have obtained on your CV can make you stand out to an employer, especially if you are bilingual or have a full driving license in some cases.

References
A list of references can be down to your own discretion. Understandably you may not want to provide your references details unless you have too; in this case, you should still keep a subheading for references, but under the title, have the phrase references on request. This will tell the employer you have references, however it is something the need to ask for if it is something they wish to have.