NAVIGATION
Tips to make your CV more ‘you’….
Published: 17th December 2024 | Author: Kate Howes
If you’re keen to refresh your CV or starting out writing one from scratch, we highly recommend adding these two sections to your CV to help recruiters and hirers understand who you are, and what you want to do.
First Things First
Let’s kick things off with… your personal statement, also known as a professional statement, personal summary or ‘objectives’ section.
This should be a short paragraph that sits underneath your name and contact details but above your employment history and education. It’s the first impression and is a great place to give context as to why you’re seeking a new role, and what type of work you’re aiming to find.
For example, if I were a Sales Administrator I might write…
“I am a self-motivated administration professional with XYZ years’ experience working in commercial environments. I have excellent organisational and administrative skills and enjoy working as part of a team but I am also happy working independently. Currently seeking a new challenge where I can use my existing experiences and gain new skills in a fast-paced sales office or commercial environment.”
This section should be concise, professional, and instantly tell the reader who you are and how you see yourself. It should have some descriptive words or phrases that you feel are appropriate to you as an individual: hard-working, ambitious, self-motivated, nurturing, diplomatic, patient, enthusiastic.
It should then summarise very briefly your experience. The number of years’ of experience you have, for example. This is less straightforward if you have limited experience in the job you are applying for, though. In this case, you could write something like…
“Though I have enjoyed working/studying in XYZ in the last few years, I am now seeking to transfer my skills and experience into a XYZ role”.
It’s then wise to point out your best assets which could be qualities such as: organisational abilities, analytical skills, ability to maintain accuracy when under pressure, exceptional customer service skills, diligence at following operating procedures, or leadership and motivational abilities.
You can then end this section by stating what you’re seeking. This can be as broad as the example I’ve used above “Currently seeking a new challenge where I can use my existing experiences and gain new skills in a XYZ environment” or use it to be more specific. If you’re after part-time work, a career change, a step up in responsibility, or something in particular then tell the reader. You can also provide context as to why you’re applying for new jobs. Whether it’s following redundancy, after completing qualifications, or just that you’re keen to find a new challenge. Adding this is always a good idea.
General tips for this section on your CV:
- Keep it short and sweet
- Keep it pretty professional
- Choose your wording carefully
- If you’re tailoring it to suit different job applications, then make sure you check it before sending it out for any other roles
- Keep it personal to you – it’s the space to ‘sell’ yourself.
- Ensure your spelling and grammar are tip-top and if possible, get somebody to proofread it
A Sweet Ending
Something we and our clients often like to see is a final ‘Hobbies and Interests’ section after everything else on your CV to finish it off. It’s up to you how much detail to include, but knowing whether you like walking your dogs, playing golf, are a mad football fanatic, or in a choir are all endearing, nice things to read. We believe it helps hirers see you as a whole individual, not just as a potential worker. It gives a reflection of you as a person, which is always wonderful to see. It’s also a more appropriate place to get across your passions outside of work, and your sense of humour.
This bit should be more straightforward because it’s about YOU but as some examples, I’ll give you my succinct version and my longer version. Both of which would be perfectly acceptable on a CV.
“Outside of work I enjoy swimming, making homemade pizzas, attending pub quiz nights with friends and walking my rescue dog around the Suffolk countryside.”
Or
“I have developed a keen interest in swimming, including wild swimming, though less so in the Winter months! I love entertaining at home and now I have a pizza oven I have become quite the experimental pizza chef much to the delight/disappointment of friends and family. I also enjoy the odd pub quiz night and testing my general knowledge! Living in the beautiful Suffolk countryside, I also enjoy taking my dog for long walks when time permits.”
As hirers, we see countless CVs every day and sometimes it’s so refreshing to read about who somebody is both in and out of work. It also makes you a little more memorable and can raise some good points for conversation, too! Don’t be afraid to show us who you are as a professional and just as ‘you’ on your CV!