What makes a CV catch our eye?

For anyone who follows the news, you’ll have heard plenty about recruitment challenges in dentistry. Much of the conversation centres around recruiting dentists, and rightly so. But my experince of recruiting for other roles has given me much more to ponder.

Over the last three and a half years, we’ve recruited for several positions including trainee dental nurses, receptionists and support staff. Most of those vacancies have come from growing our team rather than replacing people, which has been a fortunate position to be in.

One thing has surprised me.

Whenever we advertise an entry level role, we aren’t short of applicants. Our most recent vacancy attracted over 60 applications. That sounds encouraging, particularly at a time when there is so much discussion about young people struggling to find work.

Yet reading through those applications left me asking a different question.

Why, despite receiving so many applications from young people looking for an opportunity, did I find myself offering interviews and ultimately jobs to candidates who weren’t necessarily the youngest applicants? What was the difference?

The answer, in my opinion, wasn’t simply experience.

I’ve recruited some excellent young people into our practice, so this certainly isn’t true of everyone. But that recruitment process made me reflect on what separates the applications that immediately stand out from those that don’t.

No one expects an 18 or 19 year old applying for a trainee position to have years of employment behind them. Everyone has to start somewhere. What matters far more is evidence of effort.

A CV containing only a couple of sentences tells me very little about the person behind it. It doesn’t show me what motivates them, what interests them about the role or why they want to work in healthcare. Even simple things like spelling, presentation and taking the time to tailor an application tell an employer a great deal.

So what caught our eye?

Naturally skill level and experience are worthy of a detailed review but personality, dedication and professionalism are next to draw us in. Among those 60+ applications, one in particular really caught my attention. The candidate had very little work experience, but their CV was thoughtfully presented and focused on their personal qualities rather than simply listing qualifications. They explained why they wanted the opportunity and what strengths they believed they could bring to the team.

Another candidate stood out for a different reason. They applied through the recruitment website, emailed the practice directly and introduced themselves professionally. After our initial telephone conversation, they sent a short message thanking us for our time. None of those actions guaranteed them the job, but they demonstrated enthusiasm, professionalism and genuine interest.

When your up against over 60 other people those small details matter.

Equally, something I rarely see is evidence of volunteering, work shadowing or any attempt to gain experience, even for a day or two. Employers understand that opportunities can be difficult to find, but making the effort to volunteer at a local charity, help at a community event or arrange some workplace experience tells us something valuable about a person’s attitude.

Experience can be taught.

Attitude is much harder to teach.

I sometimes wonder whether we’re asking the wrong question when we discuss youth unemployment. Rather than asking why employers aren’t recruiting more young people, perhaps we should also ask whether we’re doing enough to teach young people how to present themselves.

Writing a CV, communicating professionally, following up appropriately and demonstrating initiative are all skills. Like any skill, they can be learned, but many young people may never have been shown how.

The reality is they also need to be prepared to put the effort in themselves. Employers aren’t looking for perfection. We’re looking for signs that someone genuinely wants the opportunity. Spending an extra hour improving a CV, researching the business, arranging a day of work experience or volunteering, or taking the time to send a thoughtful covering message can make a remarkable difference.

The good news is that none of those things require years of experience. They simply require initiative.

I genuinely hope more young people choose careers such as dental nursing, reception and healthcare support. They are rewarding professions that offer the chance to build a career, develop lifelong skills and make a real difference to people’s lives every day.

If I could offer any advice to anyone applying for their first job, it would be this: don’t worry about what you haven’t done yet. Instead, show employers who you are. Demonstrate curiosity, reliability, professionalism and a willingness to learn. Remember, volunteering, work experience and even unpaid opportunities all count as valuable experience. For me, making the effort to seek out those opportunities demonstrates initiative, determination and a genuine desire to stand out.

Those qualities are often what earn you an interview. From there, experience will follow.

Gillian Gunning