In a competitive job market a CV is your key marketing tool, but busy employers may only scan for a few seconds before deciding if they want to hear more from you – or not.
Master your copy
Create a master copy CV, which you can update with new experience and achievements while they’re still fresh. It's really important that you adapt this copy to each job you apply for by reviewing what individual employers are looking for and deciding what to emphasise from your experiences on your CV. Sending off a generic CV that isn't tailored to the job or company won't get you very far.
Make an impression
Avoid just listing duties and responsibilities. Instead, highlight the process and the results of your actions. These two examples highlight how you can demonstrate the results of your actions:
- I achieved consistently positive feedback from customers; 85% ranked the service they received as excellent.
- I organised a charity ball for 150 guests and 12 VIPs
Make an impact with action verbs
How you use language is important. You can dramatically strengthen your statements by using simple language techniques effectively.
Use active verbs, as shown below, rather than passive verbs. For example: I organised a programme of speakers, I motivated the team or I analysed research data.
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Networked
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Supervised
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Expanded
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Advised
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Motivated
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Attained
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Pinpointed
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Undertook
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Recruited
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Simplified
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Tested
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Innovated
Putting it into practise
Before:
I led a team of students to complete a project to gain more social media interactions for a local business.
After:
Supervised and spearheaded a team of students to develop and test a new social media strategy for a local business resulting in increased engagement.
Before:
Developed my original idea to come up with a better design and improve the old concept.
After:
Researched alternative options and adjusted my original design to produce a new and improved solution with increased efficiency.
I want to thank Harriet Akehurst as she helped me build a perfect CV from scratch for my career in research. The Careers team is very professional and made me feel comfortable as an international student.