5 Powerful Things That Really Make Your CV Stand Out

In the competitive corporate landscape, to get your foot through the door, you need a CV that really stands out.

The reality is, recruiters don’t sit down with a cup of coffee and biscuits to read and digest your CV in its entirety.

Managers are unlikely to think ‘Wow, 300 people want to work for me’.

They rather think ‘I need to sift through 300 CVs. And I’m already down 1 person and overworked’.

You need a CV that stands out and grabs their attention straight away by demonstrating why you and your unique experience are the best bet for the job.

So here are 5 things you absolutely must add to your resume if you want a CV that stands out

Keep reading to find out how to book a free CV audit with me to maximize your chances of success!

1. Doing Words

Recruiters and hiring managers are interested in what you can do for them and how you can solve their problems.

When describing your work experience, use ‘doing words’, such as led, achieved, and took charge of, to describe the exact actions you’ve taken.

This makes it easier for them to match your experience with what they need the successful candidate to do in the job.

However, don’t start each bullet with the same word.

Instead of repeating the common word ‘Managed’, swap it with motivated, facilitated, and executed.

Swap ‘Responsible for’ with headed up, directed, produced, and took charge for.

Replace ‘Achieved’ with earned, demonstrated, surpassed, and outperformed.

2. Quantified Achievement

Are you more likely to hire a carpenter who says “I have a proven track record in carpentry” or a carpenter who talks about how many years they’ve been doing this, how many projects they’ve completed, what techniques they use and what % of their clients recommend them.

If you are a recruiter, are you more likely to shortlist a CV that just says Project Management Skills or a CV that very early on states “Successfully led and delivered 6 key projects in the same year, coordinating the work of over 50 people”?

The phrase ‘proven track record’ should NOT sit in your CV without real proof.

Buzzwords, such as I am motivated, driven, efficient, etc don’t score you the job.

These tell recruiters nothing about how you will make a difference to them and their teams.

You need to show tangible impact and value-add.

You do this by quantifying your achievements. Here are some examples of impact:

• Consistently increased sales by 5% quarter on quarter.
• Reduced staff turnover by 5% year on year.
• Improved employee morale as evidenced by an increase in employee engagement survey by 10 points.
• Successfully completed project 2 weeks earlier than the deadline.
• Consistently delivered ROI of 15% over 3 years period.
• Negotiated a significant fee reduction of 3% thus saving the company $10,000 per annum.
• Effectively managed conflict in the team using a collaborative and transparent approach to ensure the successful delivery of the program on time.

Notice I am using powerful adverbs such as significantly, reliably, diligently, consistently, successfully, and effectively but in the context of tangible impact.

Besides in a CV, use quantified achievements in your interview too to make a great impression and stand out.

3. Testimonial

You shop on Amazon, you look at the product reviews.

You see a product ad, user testimonials influence your decision to buy.

Why treat your CV differently?

Remember, your CV is your sales tool.

Instead of just saying “References are available upon request”, include a testimonial from someone you work with. Include their name, title, company, and their relationship to you (manager, coach, mentor, direct report, peer). Ask the person for a 1-2 sentence endorsement, highlighting your unique skills and value.

If you’re changing industries or careers, adding a testimonial from someone in your desired industry or career is incredibly powerful to have a CV that stands out.

And if that’s something you’re only just exploring now, use the personal development plan guide and template to make it easier to put an actionable plan to achieve your career goal.

4. Keywords

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to CVs and job searches. Different companies have different issues, and different priorities and look for different profiles.

You need to tailor your CV to the industry using keywords.

Here are some ideas to find keywords:

• Google “[Industry] trends”
• Follow the LinkedIn company pages of the biggest companies in the sector and your target companies
• Read industry reports from the big consultancy firms
• Try industry-specific keyword lists such as these

To make it easier and less time-consuming, at the beginning of your job hunt, research keywords relevant to the industry and field of work. Not everything is relevant to every employer. So keep a list of keywords (e.g. in Excel or notes) and add/remove them to each section of your CV based on the job ad, the company’s social media, website, etc. For example, in the technology sector

Here are some of the benefits of doing this.

• You will be able to build better rapport with the recruiter and interviewer.
• The algorithm of platforms such as LinkedIn and Indeed is more likely to find your CV and match it with potential jobs and recruiters.
• You can ask more informed questions at the interview.
• You will appear much more knowledgeable and highlight how you will continue to be a great asset to the team and company in the future too.

This brings us to the final thing that makes your CV stand out – it’s about them, not you and this needs to be reflected in your CV.

5. It’s About Them

Think of recruitment like betting. They are going to bet on the candidate who is most likely to be successful in the role.

How do they know who that is?

Your CV is your first opportunity to pitch yourself as the safest bet.

But remember, at this point, they don’t even know you. You are one of the hundreds, possibly thousands of CVs.

If you think of your experience as a product, you sell the benefits and commercial value, not the features. You sell how your features add value to them.

A helpful question to ask yourself is So What. I have good people skills. So what? The employer cares to see how this would make a difference to them and their challenges.

So it really isn’t about you. It’s about the value you can add to them.

So avoid phrases such as ‘Looking to gain experience, ‘I’m motivated’, ‘I have a proven track record in being efficient etc.

Instead, look through the job ad carefully. Where possible, for each of the listed job requirements you must include powerful evidence that you can do this using the tips above (doing words, quantified achievement, impactful adverbs, keywords etc).

Conclusion

Recruiters don’t sit down with a cup of tea and biscuits to read your CV in its entirety.

If you want to write a CV that stands out, clearly articulate what value you bring to the table and how you have done this in the past. Do this clearly quantify the impact you’ve had in the past, use doing words, add a testimonial, and tailor your CV to the industry, company and the specific job advertisement.

This will make you the best bet.

Got an interview lined up? Check out this step-by-step guide on how to nail the interview even if you don’t meet all requirements.