Looking for a new job can be daunting process, not only are you deciding to part ways with your existing company, but with that also comes the need for you to become a professional juggler; who can manage to turn up to work and give 100%, write a perfect CV, attend face-to-face interviews, and possibly (fingers crossed!) have a personal life too! Therefore, the quicker we can get this process over and done with, the better.
A strong CV will really put you in good stead to manage to secure an interview and the best advice that I can give you for when writing your CV, is to be clear, concise and transparent:
- Provide your full educational background and achievements, including years in education, and grades achieved.
- Be honest about any gaps within your CV- the likelihood is, eventually someone will question you on it!
- Be clear and to the point, for instance summarising your achievements in a bullet pointed paragraph (tailored to the job you are applying for!) allows the hiring manager to review your skills match quickly, as after all, they are busy people.
- Always contextualise! So for instance if you are a Project Manager, it is important to provide details of the project according to scale, scope, team sizes and responsibility for delivery; i.e. – “I managed a team of 3 BA’s & 2 developers to complete a claims software upgrade from an old legacy system onto a bespoke platform within a tight deadline of 3 months; the project was delivered on time and also within the budget of £1m”
- Demonstrate your soft skills on paper; companies do not want to hire a robot. (although sometimes in recruitment it would be easier if they did!), they want people with charisma, someone that will win people over. For example, if you have worked in a political environment, where you have had to win over stakeholders, and managed to do this and successfully deliver the project on time – make sure you include this.
In today’s market, it is important that we sell ourselves in the best possible way, and doing so on paper is not always easy; however taking the time to perfect your CV will make all the difference.
Shiva Prashar
Consultant - Insurance Team
If you’d like to talk to Shiva about a vacancy you have or if you’re looking for a new role
E: Shiva.prashar@highams.com or P: 01883 341 144