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5 ways to boost your Graduate CV

If you’re graduating from college or university it can be a challenge to produce a CV that stands out amongst the experienced competition.
Highlighting your sector-specific skills, educational background and your experiences is essential. Boosting your CV isn’t just about demonstrating your experiences though - networking and getting your CV in front of the right people is vital to getting on the career ladder.  
Below are 5 ways to boost your CV, helping you land an interview. 

Gain some Easy Experience 
Relevant experiences shouldn’t be limited to full time or paid employment. Display your experiences through any qualifications you have attained, voluntary placements or freelancing projects you secured. 
Consider speaking with your career advisors or tutors about potential placements you can gain whilst you’re in education, linking these to the sector you’re looking to pursue. In addition, you could reach out to local businesses in reference to any opportunities to shadow or voluntary within their organisation. If placements are unavailable, you could consider freelance projects by signing up to freelancing websites or promoting your services through social media. 

Start a Vocational Training Course
Vocational (or job-based) training could be a great addition to your CV, especially when the skills you acquire are closely matched to the industry you’re looking to explore. Enrol with colleges or training providers to access short courses or online training. Sign up for training that would boost your skill set or aid your continuous development. 
However, ensure you are adding any courses to your CV, whether these are completed or still pending. 

Undertake Personal Projects
Demonstrate your suitability for a sector by exhibiting ex-curriculum activities or personal pursuits, which display your enthusiasm and marketable skills.
Contemplate writing a blog or creating an online portfolio of work, providing links within your CV and explaining what you gained from producing these sites. 
Include any sporting or charity events you have either been involved within or organised, presenting your proficiencies and your ability to balance both your personal pursuits and education. 

Upload your CV to Job Boards
Simply applying for jobs online isn’t enough to engage a recruiter and get yourself hired, boost your job search by making your CV searchable online. 
Being proactive will allow recruiters to come to you with roles and expanding your options will give you a better chance of standing out. Consider signing up for job alerts to ensure you don’t miss out on any great opportunities. 

Network on LinkedIn
Once you’ve produced an engaging CV, it’s time to get it in front of the right people. This starts with networking, put together a LinkedIn profile that reflects the experiences in your CV and search recruiters in the sectors you’re looking to start your career within. 
LinkedIn allows you to connect directly with hiring managers and recruiters, reach out and sell your core strengths that match their job specifications. Consider putting together a list of companies you want to work for and start following those companies on LinkedIn, researching the appropriate contacts within the business.