With the pandemic, did you know what recruitment teams had shrunk? 

And at the same time, unemployment in the UK is now at 5% and more people than ever are applying for jobs. 

There are less people doing the hiring and record high applying. Sounds like a recipe for disaster! 

What this means is that recruiters have even less time than before to consider applications so you’ve got to do your bit to help them see that you’re the right person for the job. 

How do you do that?

It’s E.A.S.Y.! 

No, seriously, it is…

What’s even easier is to get me to do it for you.

E. is for EXPLAIN what you do

Start with your job description or the long list of duties that’s already in your CV (you know what I’m talking about). 

Pretty painful to read, isn’t it? 
Imagine how a recruiter feels when they have another 200 CVs like that.
Just saying…

Then, from the job advert, figure out what is relevant to your next job and group your responsibilities into clutters that match the keywords. 
Aim for about 5 different areas of responsibilities and order them to show the most important ones at the top. 
Anything that isn’t pertinent can come off or, if it’s a really big part of your job, be added to a miscellaneous group at the bottom of the list. 

Finally, combine all the bullet points in each group into one sentence. Don’t try to cover everything or give too much detail. Keep it short and punchy.

A. is for Talk about your ACHIEVEMENTS

Candidates for the same job usually have a similar background so there’s not much a recruiter can use to decide who’s the best fit. 

What you’ve accomplished is what makes the difference between you and the others and shows that you don’t just do a job, but a great job! 

To give you some inspiration, find your performance reviews or think about when you: 

• Went above and beyond, 
• Won an award,
• Saved or made money for the company,
• Worked on a key project, 
• Solved a big problem,
• Etc.

S. is for STAND OUT from the crowd

When competition is fierce, there are tricks to get you noticed. 

1. Use the right words

To decide your fate, recruiters and ATS will look for the words you’re using in your CV. 

If they match what’s in their job description, you’ll look like a good fit, so make sure you’re picking keywords from the advert and adding them to your CV. 

Remember that recruiters are not doing the job themselves and, if you use jargon or acronyms, they might not understand what you’re talking about. 

Verbs can also make a big difference to how your CV is read. You sound a lot more in control of your work if you say “I delivered X project” instead of  “I was tasked with the delivery of X project”. 

2. Evidence your skills

Instead of building a long list of skills on your CV, give specific examples to put them into context. 

And please don’t talk about skills that can cancel each other out. 

This one is my pet peeve.

“I can work independently as well as in a team.”

By the way, I had this exact same phrase in my first CV…

3. Quantify everything

Numbers naturally stand out in CVs that are full of words.

Quantifying your responsibilities and achievements will give the recruiter a better idea of your productivity and potential. 

Don’t make shit up tho, use words like “circa”, “approximately” or “on average” when you make an educated guess or rough calculation. 

Y. is for Talk about YOU

I see too many CVs that talk about what the team did. Don’t get me wrong, that’s great! But you want the recruiter to hire you, not your team! 

Use active sentences to talk about what you did.  PS: if you don’t like to say “I”, don’t write it, just imagine it’s there. 

The department sales increased by 8%.
(I) increased the department’s budget by 8% by consistently meeting my sales targets. 

And don’t even think of using the 3rd person! Ever!

Need a hand?

Get in touch to find out how I can help.