5 CV tips that will get you noticed

So.. here we are my FIRST LinkedIn article!

Let me start by introducing myself to all my network whom I may not have spoken with - I am Jasmine & I specialise in Technical recruitment (Product, Project, Agile, BA's) throughout London & South - East at Reed.

I am going to publish monthly or weekly articles that not only provide insight into the market but also assist YOU to stand out during the recruitment process.

The first step in standing out is having a top-quality CV. It's the first chance you get to make a good impression on a potential employer thus is a prerequisite to landing that dream job.

A CV is unique to you and arguably the most important document you will ever write: it aids you in professional development; DON'T be generic, show your passions, achievements, and sell yourself.

There is not one single person on this earth that has the same experience as you.

Here are my Top 5 tips:

1) Personal Profile

Your personal profile should be tailored to for EVERY position you apply for (yes I said every!) I know this is time - consuming, but if you like the role you are applying for. Why not maximize your chances of getting an interview; by specializing it for every role?

Think about it... it's the first section a hiring manager/recruiter/hr reads about you. Therefore, the first sentences should highlight specific qualities that match you to the role.

Now.. what you need to do is find out what is the most important thing to the hiring manager? Is it someone who has been involved in 'wagile' transformations, or perhaps - someone who has worked on a similar project?

The first sentence needs to highlight the said quality & the rest should be why you are the best match for the role.

2) Numbers

The talent pool in Technology & digital is small & niche. Thus, I am personally, and I am sure many others are drawn into headhunting 'high performers'.

Believe it or not... I look at CV's every day (shock), & I speak to so many candidates who tell me incredible things on the phone "this project saved the company ￡200K" or "this feature I developed, improved UX, & downloads improved by 20%" - but this is NOT on the CV's.

This is crazy! In order to stand out, add all your achievements. Include, tangible numbers, statistics of the products/features, delivery-focused achievements, awards, anything that is unique to your career & development

3) Product/Project Section

Have a headed product/project section on your CV (or include under each position). DONT be generic ie, adding your responsibilities.. 'as - is to - process' or 'prioritizing the backlog'. You will be surprised how many CV's I read that sound like a job description. Most Business Analysts can gather requirements or bridge the gap between business and technology.

Make it about achievements & personal development within each product/project. Questions you should answer: What was the product? What did you change & why? What were the statics when you joined vs when you left? I.e. the mobile app for X was only a 3.2-star rating on IOS when we added feature Y and developed the existing feature X: it went up to 4.5 within 3 months. And finally.. what did you learn? how did you grow?

4) Photos

I see photos on CV's a lot - I know in some countries it's a requirement to have a photo - In the UK, it's not. An employer should judge you on your skills, achievements, & experience. Not what you look like.

Forgive me for being a pessimist, but this opens up a chance for someone to judge you on your age, ethnicity or gender. Therefore, I am inclined to advise you to remove a photo. And, if a hiring manager is curious, they will review your LinkedIn profile. I would rather a potential employer viewing my LinkedIn as well as my CV - would you not?

5) Buzzwords

Add buzzwords to your CV - so your profile comes up in more searches.

The amount of Product CVs I read without the word PRODUCT in, would blow your mind. You need to make sure you clarify the differences between the products you worked on and the projects. There is a huge difference and your CV can read more Project management & employers can sometimes be stringent.

AGILE! It's been a buzzword for a long time. But don't assume because you have a Prince 2, Scrum qualified, or work as a Business Analyst, Product Owner that the person reading your profile will assume it was in an agile setting. Despite certain roles being derived from agile, it's not uncommon for a Product Owner to work in a waterfall environment - Most corporate companies do this!

Clause: DON'T add too many buzz words it's unreadable (I have seen this too)

A few buzzwords I search on: agile, scrum, kanban, digital, website, eCommerce, digital platform, Mobile app, UX, feature, product development, data, business improvement, & specific technical skills.

My final piece of advice is to tailor your CV for the role in which you are applying for.

On a final note, (if you got this far), I am thinking to do a weekly or monthly article series on tips you can use throughout the recruitment process. Please leave a comment if there is an area you would like me to cover.

I was thinking about the next article: 'how to nail a telephone interview' - thoughts?