If you want to grab the hiring manager’s attention and get your CV noticed, you will need to create a really compelling CV that stands out from the rest and it is not difficult to do.
Every job position you apply for has to get your CV design to be noticed. Below are some basic and immediate CV fixes, you must do.
Use Common Titles
Your job title could be "Manager" or "Team Leader" OR "Analyst". You do not need to put down your official title in your CV. Your job title must match your job description, so you must modify your title to read "Branch Manager" or " Sales Manager" rather than a manager or change it to read "Accounting Supervisor" or "Senior Sales Officer" instead of "Team Leader", similarly if you are a Finance and your job title says "Analyst" you can change it to "Financial Analyst" etc. Recruiters search via common job titles too and your CV must be found.
Avoid Infographics / Charts
ATS systems can't read charts or diagrams. They understand only text and since almost every major company uses an ATS system, the data on the infographic will not be correctly parsed or read.
Have Clear Subheadings
Having clearly defined subheadings allows not only the hiring manager (or recruiter) to know where to look but also the ATS system to take the data that comes below the subheading and implant it correctly into the fields. When searches are done, data is easily found.
CV Name
Naming CVs as CV.doc, or Mylatestresume.pdf, CV_2023.doc is an incorrect naming format for CVs. Best to name your CV as "Dinesh-SalesManager.doc", "Dinesh_DSouza-LogisticsExec.pdf" or "Dinesh-MechanicalEngineer.pdf". Use a combination of Name-Title-Education, not necessarily all three but at least 2.
CV Lenght
Keep your CV within 2 pages. Have a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 12 bullet points per job description. One line per bullet point. Remember your CV will be read within 20 seconds only.
Use a simple left-to-right layout. It may be best recommended to avoid columns in your CV structure.
Optimise Keywords
Keyword optimization in your CV is very essential. Searches are performed using keywords such as "Inco terms", "financial analysis", "sales targets", "mechanical engineer" etc. These keywords can also be in your education or job title.
Almost every bullet point must contain at least one keyword and your CV must have a good spread of keywords.
CV Formatting
Maintain a structured formatting system throughout your CV. Use the same font and font size for all text. Use a larger bold font size for subheadings. Keep a uniform margin alignment, line spacing, and paragraph spacing. Make sure all "bullets" are in the same verticle line. Use simple text fonts - Arial, Times New Roman, Cambria, and similar other fonts. A font size of 10 or 11 is best.
Spell Check
A CV with grammatical errors does not create a good impression. Why would a hiring manager consider a resume with spelling mistakes? Imagine if you are selected and send a proposal or email to a client with spelling mistakes, it creates an unprofessional image for the company.
Have a look at some sample CV formats, but not all may be recommended.
You may want to read this to learn more about designing your own CV.