It's not easy to write a CV that will translate your past experience in a way that will resonate with today's hiring managers. It's an even greater challenge to try identify and share your accomplishments without feeling like you're over selling yourself. In this blog, we will be providing you with the top tips for your CV ahead of 2023!
In the world of work today, it has become extremely digital, and the definition of "competitive" has changed drastically. When job hunting, we all want our CV's to get the attention they deserve. But to do this, we have to ensure that everything in our document speaks to our strengths, and highlight how versatile we would be, no matter what the job title is or day-to-day tasks.
The purpose of your CV is to get the interviews for the jobs you're striving for. This is why you should see your CV as your own marketing tool. Most people will label it as a professional biography, where you share details on everything you've done or had responsibilities for at every place you've worked - this isn't the case. Your CV should be written for the future and to the role you'd like to obtain next in your career.
In order to do that, your CV will need the following things we discuss below. Combining those factors will help you to make a powerful first impression that will make you stand out from the other applicants.
Top CV Tips
Check your spelling and grammar - It's a simple mistake, yet it's an extremely prevalent one. Having a grammatical or spelling error in your CV can illustrate your lack of attention to detail, this can cause a negative impact on your probability of winning over the prospective employer right away. There are numerous tools that can assist you when proof-reading and also checking your spelling and grammar as you type, or you can send your CV to a friend or relative to help proof-read and provide constructive criticism.
Customise for each role - There's no such thing as a generic marketing CV, so make sure you create a unique CV for every job you apply for. You don't need to rewrite the entire thing, just work out how you can match each requirements on the job description and relate your own skills/achievements to the roles you're applying for!
Build your online brand - Employers will often review your online presence, which can provide them with more information about you as a prospective employee. It goes without saying that you need to be careful and conscious with your public profiles as this is an insight into your own personal brand.
It's also important that you keep your professional profiles updated, with information aligning with the existing information on your CV and vice versa. This is especially crucial as the world has become much more digital, meaning that LinkedIn could be the first place hiring managers and recruiters find you to potentially reach out to you about a possible role.
TRG Tips:
As recruiters, we see many CV's and we thought it would be great to tell you some of our own tips!
Morgan - Recruitment Consultant: "A good CV is very clear, concise and makes every point necessary without blabbering on. Your CV does not need to be pages and pages long as a CV is just reassurance to a potential employer that you're interested in working with, this means placing an emphasis on your most impressive, interesting and relevant skills throughout your career."
Will - Recruitment Consultant: "Displaying your experience is key! Clearly and concisely display the experience section on your CV so that future employers can understand what your commercial background is and how it can apply to the potential role in their business."
Jess - Recruitment Executive: "I think it's important to try and emphasise your results as well as your responsibilities, whilst summarising your skills and key accomplishments - this will help you prove yourself to the employer before you get the chance to interview in person. Consider using measurable data if available, as it can clearly demonstrate your abilities."
Megan - Recruitment Executive: "Make your CV easy to read. For instance, if your CV looks like a grid, it can be seen as unappealing to some people, whilst also making it more difficult to locate the information you actually want people to read."
Crispin - Business Manager: "Highlight achievement’s not responsibilities. There is nothing worse in a CV than lots of filler words or phrases such as; Tasked with, Responsible for, Experienced in.
I believe that key bullet points in your CV should start with strong action verbs, that will assist you to describe what you accomplished, how you contributed and the key metrics that quantify this success.
Instead of “Responsible for” you could use, Implemented, Collaborated, Initiated, Audited. Once you have your action verb you can use the following formula:
Action Verb + Contribution and Skill Used = Results and Metrics.
E.G 'Implemented a new prospect qualification system for the sales team. Once I had trained the sales team, the number of deals closed rose by 20% resulting in an increase in sales of over £100k in the first quarter.'"
At Talented Recruitment Group believe it is vital to update and work on your CV even when you're not currently searching for a new job, as this will only benefit you when you need it.
Utilising some of the CV tips we've provided can help you to create your "brand" on paper and stand out from your competitors in a simple, yet effective way. With the uncertainties of the coming year, being ready for any obstacles or personal changes in the workplace will always be a great advantage to have whilst potentially helping you to land your dream role.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your own CV; we'd be happy to assist you and provide advice and guidance to help you stand out from the crowd.