Many people have CVs that stand out, but it is usually for the wrong reason – whether it is a funny spelling mistake that totally changes the meaning, a CV that spans several pages or a document with such poor formatting that it is hard to follow. Avoid falling into this ‘wrong reason’ category and create a CV that stands out for all of the right reasons instead!
A CV should fit onto two pages – you can adjust the margins as necessary, to some extent, but shortening a CV will often involve removing some words as well as clever formatting. There is no need to be repetitive – if you have done two jobs with almost identical descriptions, then refer to the most recent job rather than rewriting every responsibility. Lose filler words and stick with the most important facts: keep your personal profile short and to the point.
Try to include a ‘hobbies and interests’ (or similar) section too. This is your chance to show a potential employer that you are a human too, and for them to get to know a little about you before they invite you for an interview. You can often relate your activities to work anyway – cooking may relate to following instructions or taking logical steps to achieve a goal, watching documentaries on television may relate to a desire to want to learn, and so on.