How to make your CV stand out
Photo by Marta Filipczyk on Unsplash
Love them or hate them, when you work in a professional field you will need a CV of some description especially if you’re actively (or subtly) looking for your next role. Most likely you’ve been asked for your CV in exchange for a job role brief.
Often described as a door opener, I prefer to refer to your résumé or CV as a conversation starter.
I know you’ve probably spent hours compiling and agonising over yours, but the sad truth is that it may pass through a recruiter's hands in seconds (and that includes the one that you've paid a lot of money for someone to write for you).
In this post, I’ll reveal some of the classic CV mistakes for you to avoid and help yours to stand out in the pile. But first, a little bit about how I read them and why I like them.
How I read a CV
I’m interested to see what you’ve done, where did you do it and for how long, and then what you’re doing now.
Then I’ll read the personal statement or summary where you describe yourself. All of this along with my knowledge of the industry helps me to build a profile of you.
Bearing in mind I’ve been reading these things for years, I can pick up a lot about you simply by the way your CV has been written.
I suppose you could say that I’m reading between the lines.
Why I like CVs
I like them because they can help with those conversations I mentioned earlier. So work through the frustrations of creating it because I promise, if you crack it you’ll have an excellent positioning tool to market your career.
If you've worked with me, you'll know that I put a lot of emphasis on the curation of content, personalisation and then fine-tuning, because this really does help you to tell and sell your unique experience and expertise.
Does your CV have ‘impact’?
First impressions do count!
Aim to avoid:
Heavy paragraphs of not very interesting information
Copy and pasting
Cobbled together CVs and inconsistent styles
Too many ‘job description’ style responsibilities
Brain dumped lists of ‘things that you do at work’ in no particular order
Rambling explanations and repetitive phrases
Keyword search optimisation at the expense of good content
School leaver-style CVs (you don’t need your O & A level results)
Are you an expert or Jack/Jackie of all trades?
The problem with having lots of career experience is knowing just what to capture on paper. Try to cram it all in and your CV looks cluttered and you risk coming across as Jack/Jackie of all trades rather than an expert.
I recommend that senior-level professionals should have more than one version anyway. Your full CV which is tailored and tweaked according to the role, plus a one-pager – the ultimate ‘teaser’ and used by executive recruiters to introduce high potential candidates.
I teach all my clients how to create and use one.
This brings me to working recruiters.
If you’ve been used to recruitment firms preparing your CV, it can be daunting when it comes to writing your own. But stick with it! And if you want my help I can show you how to do it so you’re not relying on recruiters. A skill for life!
You’re missing the mark!
The interesting bits of your experience are hidden amongst dry text or lost amongst too much information.
Not enough focus on achievements and personal impact in the form of results.
Your CV isn’t reader-friendly and it’s not showcasing the best stories.
How I can help you and your career
ABOUT ME
I’m Tracy, Career Consultant, former Executive Headhunter and I help senior executives and leaders to land great jobs and be successful at work through 1:1 coaching.
I work with clients around the world from my London-based Zoom office.
If you’re ready for straight-talk and career guidance get in touch – let's start the conversation.
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