When the time has come to take the next step up in your career, your curriculum vitae is that all-important shop window into your unique offering as a candidate.
Internal applicants seeking promotion or stretch assignments should pay just as much attention to crafting the perfect CV; seldom do decision makers know all the ins and outs of what you’ve achieved in your current role, and even fewer have a solid grasp of your past glories.
The first step in getting ready for career advancement is to work through everywoman’s essential skills workbook Writing a CV to get you promoted to get going The second is to enlist the help of those personnel specialists who’ve the ability to spot a standout CV at a hundred paces. Get started with our roundup of stellar advice from international recruitment experts.
STAMP YOUR EXPERTISE UP TOP
The entire CV is designed to showcase your expertise or skillset in a particular domain – something candidates concentrate into the wordier chunks of their document, but often fail to incorporate in ways that jump off the page to time-strapped resume sifters.
“Many people neglect to give themselves a title at the top of their resumés, which will prevent the reader from understanding at a glance what position the person is looking for.”
Mary Schumacher, Professional Career Coach
Source: TheLadders.com
The key is to write a descriptive, compelling headline. Recruiters know what a CV looks like; so writing ‘Curriculum Vitae’ or ‘Resumé’ atop your document is a waste of space. Use the opportunity to stamp your cover page with a bold headline that instantly tells the recruiter who they’re dealing with. Make it as specific and as closely aligned to the job description as possible.
DEMONSTRATE YOUR LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL
Whether or not your elevated role requires people management, the higher up the ladder you climb, the more likely that the hiring manager will be looking for signs of leadership potential. Every team leader was once a newcomer to management so don’t worry if you’ve never been responsible for direct reports.
“If you’re applying for a position at a higher level, it’s essential to identify instances that demonstrate your leadership abilities. Activities like training, supervising and mentoring staff; participating in company leadership or management development programs; any outside professional development or certifications.”
Certified resumé writer and career consultant, Annette Richmond
Source: careerintelligenceresumewriting.com
Think outside the box. Consider occasions when you’ve demonstrated an ability to get others to buy into your ideas and motivate them to action; think about ways you’ve enabled someone – an intern, mentee, more junior colleague – to change or grow; reflect on challenges you’ve faced and overcome. Craft these stories into succinct, results-based bullet points throughout your CV.
“Look back at your position or positions with your current employer with an eye toward any challenges you faced. Maybe you had to deal with low morale or out-dated processes or declining customer satisfaction. Think of this in terms of Challenge, Action, and Result. Always try to quantify your results in terms of numbers, percentages or revenue.”
Annette Richmond
CHANGE YOUR VOCABULARY
If you’ve worked through Writing a CV to get you promoted, you’ll know that ‘action verbs’ will spring off the page and transform your achievements from a list of dry professional skills into workplace stories your reader will be impressed by. But don’t make the mistake of choosing a couple that appeal to you, and repeating to the point of meaningless.
“People will use a perfectly good word, like “develop,” but then use it over and over again. Mix up your verbs. [Try] “enrich”, “fortify”, “forge”, “transform” and “galvanize”. These words are really powerful.”
Tony Restell, the Founder of Social-Hire.com
Source: Experteer-blog.com
DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT AND PAST EMPLOYERS
Employers aren’t just looking for someone with a great skills match; they also want to know that you’ll be at home in the organisational culture, whether that’s a small, family-run business or a pan-continental retailer. If the brands or business names on your CV aren’t instantly recognisable, create signposts to showcase the types of environments you’ve been successful in.
“If the position involves working with various company branches or subsidiaries, then the headhunter might target their search for individuals with experience working at a national, multi-state, or parent company. Include a brief, 2-3 sentence description of each employer in your work history that provides an at-a-glance overview of the company. What does the company do? Who does their customer base comprise of? Is the business local or does it expand to other locations and states? Does it have a special designation, such as a Fortune 500?”
Jean-March Hachey, International Recruitment Expert
Source: transitionabroad.com
More resources to guide you through your next promotion
Prepare for your promotion like a pro
Step up! Are you ready to put yourself forward at work?
Getting started in a new role: your personal checklist
New job? How to get going once the honeymoon period is over
The six people you’ll meet in a new job – and how to deal with them
