Craft a CV that gets you on the shortlist

As part of a job description, companies usually have a list of requirements that job applicants need to meet. These are generated after looking at a role and what makes people successful in them. Does this mean that you should align all of your skills to the requirements listed? It’s a good start, but if everyone does the same then there’s very little to set you apart from dozens of other applicants.

A CV is your first opportunity to stand out in the application process. You may have the confidence that you’re the perfect fit for a specific role, but your CV needs to communicate that confidence. In order to do that, it helps to understand what companies are really looking for. Despite what they say it’s not just a list of skills and qualifications. They want insight into who you are as a person and how you operate. Here are some key aspects to consider:

Progression

No two people have the same career path. It’s also rarely linear. Highlighting different aspects of your career, and what you learnt from those roles and experience, helps to showcase what is unique about your knowledge and experience. This is especially relevant if you have cross sector expertise, or have worked overseas as this brings broader experience to the role you’re applying for. Identify how your career progression makes you unique and an asset to a potential employer.

Resilience

Setbacks are commonplace, particularly in construction and infrastructure where projects rarely go according to plan. Resilience is about your response to challenges, your ability to get things back on track or turn negative circumstances around. This is especially relevant in senior roles where the ability to assess situations and make sound decisions can be critical to project success. Think of ways that you can demonstrate your resilience when describing your skills and experience in your CV.

Value

Ultimately companies seek to employee people that add value to them. They’re paying for expertise to transform skills into revenue. Highlighting specific ways in which you have added value to projects, teams, or the company as a whole, shows potential employers why they should move your CV to the top of the interview shortlist.

Don’t be shy about letting who you are as a person, come through in your CV. When all candidates have similar qualifications, it’s individual attributes that are the deciding factors.