If you’re on the hunt for a new role or new career, you need to make an impact with your CV.

To help you keep the recruiter’s attention for more than ten seconds, I’ve share five tips to do just that.

Five ways to make an impact with your CV - a blog by Lucy Stanyer Life Coach www.lucystanyerlifecoach.com

Five ways to make an impact with your CV

A CV that presents your experience, qualifications and skills in a concise and clear manner will inevitably help you land a job.

But what areas of your CV should you really focus on to make the right kind of impact?

1. Write an engaging career summary

A strong and personalised career summary can give you an edge over your competition. It should cover three key points:

  • Who you are – including your approach to work.
  • Your expertise and key skills in relation to the field you are applying for.
  • Your career objectives and goals.

This lets your potential employer know what kind of person you are, where you see yourself heading and whether you have experience that suits the role.

2. Use the right keywords

Firstly know your stuff – you’ll need to to get that job! Reflect on what’s most needed from a person in that role and what key skills and experiences are highlighted on the job description.

Using relevant keywords throughout your CV is a sure-fire way to get yourself on the shortlist. Employers often use keyword search systems when screening CVs. They look for certain skills when looking to fill their roles.

So ensure you include key words and key phrases throughout your CV to make an impact with both human and online recruiters.

3. Tailor your CV to the role

Recruiters are more likely to sit up and take notice of the people who use industry-specific language. All fields have their own terms – learning to incorporate these sparingly into your CV is a must. It can make you look more knowledgeable about the industry and more suited to the role.

4. Show your creativity

Creativity is something that hiring managers always look out for. Not necessarily artistic creativity (unless it’s a creative role) but creativity in approach to your work, projects and problem solving.

You need to show that you are both resourceful and inventive.

You can also use a little bit of creativity in how you present your CV. Try to make your CV stand out by changing the layout, fonts or colours while still keeping it professional. Small changes like these can push your CV to the top of the pile.

Take a search on Pinterest for CVs or resumes for loads of ideas.

5. Showcase your achievements

Oh this is my favourite one!

When I worked in PR and was recruiting PR Execs for my team, I’d get so frustrated at the number of people who didn’t include evidence of their achievements on their CV.

Many job seekers think that listing their previous job responsibilities and duties will help them land the role.

But for a CV to really be powerful, and for the hiring manager to understand what you have done and can do for them, you must include examples of your achievements, impact and outcomes in your previous roles.

No matter what industry you are applying for, think about what projects you lead on, initiatives that you came up with, end results of a campaign, project or piece of work, impact on the public or patients, profit or increase in sales plus any awards or accolades that you’ve been given.

This is the gold dust that will help you make an impact with your CV and give you the very best chance of landing the job!

Free discovery call

If you are looking to change job or even change career and need help to revamp your CV, then why not book one of my free discovery sessions.

In this complimentary call, you will find out how career coaching can help you make positive changes in your career, get support to get your CV in tip top shape and create a job search action plan to get you taking the action you need to get there!

For more information check out my career coaching page.