Your CV should tell the story of what you bring to a business, not simply list the jobs you’ve held.
When was the last time you really looked at your CV?
Not just to add your latest job title or update your employment dates, but to consider whether it genuinely reflects your experience, skills and everything you’ve achieved throughout your career.
For many people, their CV is something they only think about when they’re ready to start looking for a new job. And even then, it’s often a case of adding a few responsibilities from their most recent role and hoping for the best.
But here’s the thing: your CV is one of your most important professional marketing tools, and it deserves a little more attention than that.
Whether you’re actively applying for opportunities or simply keeping your options open, here are five ways to make sure your CV is doing you justice.
1. Focus on what you’ve achieved, not just what you’ve done
One of the most common things we see when reviewing CVs is a long list of responsibilities without much explanation of the value someone has brought to their organisation.
For example, there’s a difference between saying:
“Responsible for managing customer enquiries.”
And:
“Managed a high volume of customer enquiries, resolving complex issues, building strong client relationships and contributing to consistently high levels of customer satisfaction.”
Both describe the same general area of responsibility, but the second gives a much clearer picture of the skills and value involved.
Think about the improvements you’ve made, the challenges you’ve overcome and the contributions you’re particularly proud of.
2. Don’t underestimate your transferable skills
It’s easy to overlook skills that have become second nature, particularly when you’ve been working in the same industry or profession for some time.
Perhaps you’re brilliant at managing competing priorities, building relationships, resolving problems or keeping a busy team organised.
These are valuable skills that can translate across different roles, businesses and sectors.
Make sure your CV demonstrates them through real examples rather than relying on a list of generic qualities.
3. Give your most relevant experience the attention it deserves
Your CV doesn’t need to give equal space to every position you’ve ever held.
While your earlier experience helps tell the story of your career, employers will often be particularly interested in what you’ve been doing most recently and how that relates to the opportunity they’re recruiting for.
Make sure your current or most recent role includes enough detail to demonstrate the scope of your responsibilities, the level at which you operate and the impact you’ve made.
And remember, a job title doesn’t always tell the full story. If your responsibilities have grown considerably since you joined an organisation, your CV should reflect that.
4. Be specific wherever you can
It’s one thing to say you’re organised, commercially aware or experienced in managing projects. It’s another to demonstrate those qualities.
Have you supported a team of 20 people? Managed relationships with key clients? Introduced a process that saved time? Helped improve customer retention or supported the delivery of a significant project?
Including relevant examples, figures and outcomes can make your experience far more meaningful to someone reading your CV.
Of course, not every achievement can be measured in numbers, but specific examples will always help bring your experience to life.
5. Don’t wait until you’re job hunting to update it
This might be our most important piece of advice!
When you’re busy in your current role, it’s surprisingly easy to forget the projects you’ve delivered, the additional responsibilities you’ve taken on and the achievements you’ve made along the way.
Taking a little time every few months to update your CV means you’re far less likely to overlook something important when an interesting opportunity does come along.
It also gives you a valuable opportunity to reflect on just how much you’ve developed professionally.
Remember, your experience is more than a list of job titles.
A great CV isn’t necessarily the longest or the most elaborately designed. It’s one that clearly communicates who you are professionally, what you can offer and why your experience matters.
And sometimes, that means taking a fresh look at the things you do every day and recognising just how valuable they really are.
At Simkiss Recruitment Solutions, we spend our days speaking with talented people who often underestimate the skills, knowledge and experience they’ve built throughout their careers.
Our advice? Give yourself the credit you deserve, and make sure your CV does too.
Looking for your next role? Reach out to one of our friendly team and send across a copy of your CV, we are always available for an initial confidential conversation.
0121 262 4070
hello@simkissrecruitment.com
