CV Advice - creating a CV that works

Don't just use the same CV you have done for year, each time you apply for a role, your CV should be adjusted to ensure your experience reflects the key skills and experience the employer is looking for.

You need sections for:

  • Contact details

  • Profile - Key skills and experience which are relevant to the role you want

  • Relevant skills and experience - Bullet points showing skills, training, projects that relate to the requirements for the role

  • Employment History - Reverse chronological order, add bullets, don’t write this as a job description, highlight relevant work and results. Don't go too far back, consider a 'Other Career Highlights' section for any projects you want to highlight but you don't need to list everything going back to your first ever job, if it's not relevant. 

  • Additional Information - Put anything that’s really relevant (languages, voluntary work) or can give them an idea how you will fit into their culture, don't get too personal - it can put people off!

Building the content:

  • Use positive words and evidence to start your bullet points, focus on highlighting your achievements;

    • Accomplished

    • Constructed

    • Established

    • Exhibited

    • Influenced

    • Managed

    • Maximised

    • Prioritised

    • Reshaped

    • Surpassed

    • Visualised

    • Won

  • Demonstrate the positive impact of your work and the return on investment your new employer will get, give them examples of;

    • Generating ideas

    • Improving processes

    • Increasing client or customer satisfaction

    • Reducing costs

    • Increasing profits

    • Winning business

    • Creating efficiencies

  • Include specific achievements to show that you are results focused, use the STAR analogy to help structure succinct bullet points;

    • S - Situation

    • T - Task

    • A - Action

    • R - Result

Example: Managed a complex project, identified and delivered a number of cost reductions and process improvements which resulted in c£150kpa savings. (You can add more detail but not more than 4 lines)

Example: Overhauled operational processes to reduce errors and improve customer satisfaction by 37% and renew client contracts worth £400k. (You can add more detail but not more than 4 lines)

Give us a shout if you need more advice and help! And send us your updated CV!

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