How to improve your CV: 12 tips of things you should include

YOU’VE got less than 30 seconds to make your CV stand out, so what do you include and what do you ditch? Here are 12 surprising things to leave in.

MOST job hunters are told to keep their CV’s as concise as possible.

While those with an illustrious career history won’t necessarily be discounted for having their resumé spill onto another page, you shouldn’t ramble on about jobs you held 15 years ago. On the flip side, you don’t want your job descriptions to be so brief that it looks like you have no experience.

Employers generally spend less than 30 seconds reviewing a CV before deciding whether the candidate deserves an interview, so when you’re crafting yours, you’ll want to include the most effective information to catch the hiring manager’s eye.

Here are 12 surprising items you might want to include:

QUANTIFIABLE DATA

Prospective bosses want to know exactly the impact you made.

You might not think numbers and percentages are important when listing your job accomplishments, but potential employers want to see exactly what your contribution was.

“Hiring managers need quantifiable data to analyse,” said Charley Polachi, managing partner of Polachi Access Executive Search. “Quantify your sales, budget improvements and other responsibilities.” Polachi recommended taking an “alpha and omega” approach when figuring out how to incorporate this information into your resumé. What was the state of the company when you joined and where is it today? For example, you can write, “Added 10 new clients in two months,” or “Improved sales by 15 per cent last quarter.”

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Bosses will look anyway, so you should include social media links. Pic: Gerard Julien.

Hiring managers will often search for potential candidates on social networks. Save them a step by providing the links. While newcomers to the job market may want to avoid calling attention to a Twitter feed filled with expletives and hot-headed rants about university lecturers, seasoned applicants would do well to include URLs for their LinkedIn profile, Twitter account and blog, if applicable.

“If, and only if, your social media accounts are filled with professional posts pertaining to your industry, listing them on your resumé can be advantageous,” said Richie Frieman, author of Reply All [And Other Ways to Tank Your Career]

“They can show you have a strong network and are up to speed with modern-day marketing and communications practices. The hiring manager will see that you like to keep up with what’s happening, and that you care about learning more.”

TRAVEL

They don’t need to know where you got drunk on a Contiki, but travel experience can be valuable.

Details about your travel experience might seem out of place, but that’s not the case, one recruiting expert says.

“I love to see job seekers who have spent a decent amount of time abroad, [whether] for education, employment or volunteer work,” said Rachel Dotson, content manager at ZipRecruiter.com.

“This type of experience suggests several important things about the candidate. For example, they are not afraid to leave their comfort zone, they are aware and independent, and they have worked in unfamiliar situations with unfamiliar groups. While there is no guarantee that these characteristics are true of every person who has gone abroad, the experience itself is certainly enough to pique my interest.”

SIDE PROJECTS

If you’re a masterchef in your spare time, tell them! You might have something in common.

Even if potential employees are working on side projects unrelated to the full-time job they are seeking, it may be worthwhile to include those efforts on a resumé, one expert said.

Any kind of side venture, side business or project that could be indirectly related to the full-time work you’re pursuing is a good idea, said Dana Leavy-Detrick, small business consultant at Aspyre.

“This is a great way to show employers that you’re using your own time to acquire and grow skills outside of the job that will help you develop and contribute in the long-run. It’s also a great way for job seekers to engage in the type of work and learn the type of skills that really interest them.”

QR CODES

If your industry calls for it, using a QR code can show you’re comfortable with the technology.

Lest you think using a QR code (Quick Response code, or matrix barcode) on your CV will make you look a little too eager, one hiring expert said, it will actually have the opposite effect.

“Even if the QR code might only contain a link to the person’s LinkedIn profile, or their phone number, it shows a comfort level [with] and knowledge of technology,” Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing.

POLITICS

Politics is a tricky one, but if you know your politics will help you find common ground it can be useful.

Conventional wisdom says don’t talk about politics at work, but surprisingly, experts say including political stances is a good way to see if you are a good fit for a company.

“Every job seeker wants to find common ground and a connection to the company or hiring manager,” said Chris Westfall, a professional development coach and author of The New Elevator Pitch.

“What better way to make a connection than through the causes that you support? If you support causes that are not encouraged by your employer, that’s something you need to know before you accept the job!”

FAILURES

The last items you’d think belong on your resumé are the things you did wrong at your last job, but one expert says featuring your failures can actually help you get a job.

“One non-intuitive thing employers want to see on a resumé is failure,” said Phil Rosenberg, president of reCareered.com.

“Employers want to see that you’ve tried, failed and learned from your failure, all on a prior employer’s dime. This demonstrates innovation, willingness to teach risks, [and] faster reaction and response time. It is also a learning experience, and failure teaches success.”

LOW-LEVEL JOBS

Working in fast-food is a tough slog and can help show your mettle.

Even if you think some of your past jobs are trivial, one expert says they may still help you get a job. Cody Teets, author of Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers that Began at McDonald’s said employers know that working at a fast-food restaurant isn’t easy, and it can help a job seeker’s resumé stand out.

Teets, who is now vice president and general manager of McDonald’s Rocky Mountain region, said employers value the things that workers learn at their early jobs. At McDonald’s, for example, workers learn to operate as part of a team, to challenge themselves and to roll with the punches, all skills that will come in handy at any job.

AWARDS OR RECOGNITION

Cate Blanchett should definitely put her Blue Jasmine Oscar on that CV.

One expert also suggests job candidates should forget about being humble and should brag a bit. In particular, you should be sure to include any past awards on your resumé.

“One thing that top employers consistently seek out is proof that a given candidate is uncommonly talented or driven,” said Mike Junge, a recruiting, staffing and career expert.

“This is particularly true if the talent or drive is directly relevant to the job at hand, but it’s also true for applicants who have competed at a high level in other areas. High-performing companies are always looking for an edge in the marketplace, and having a team of competitive and passionate employees on board can provide a significant advantage.”

SPORTS

Playing pro-sports has lots of benefits that can endear you to recruiters.

Even if you don’t play anymore, competing as an athlete can help you get a job.

“Many hiring managers proactively search for and prioritise candidates who have played [university] sports, particularly as part of a team sport,” said Susie Hall, president of talent agency, Vitamin T.

“Most often, those candidates know what it takes to function as part of a team, from pulling your own weight to jumping in to do what’s necessary to win. If they’ve carried a sport into [university], they’ve had to work that into a busy schedule and cut into precious free time. So they’re likely to know how to juggle priorities. They are also inspired to win.”

LOTS OF DETAILS

Don’t be afraid of using specific examples to show your successes.

Don’t worry that you’ll overwhelm the person reading your resumé with too much detail. Details about your responsibilities at past jobs will help a hiring manager decide if you’re a good fit.

“Hiring managers want specific, quantifiable examples of your past successes, not mere job descriptions of past positions you held,” said Charles Purdy, senior editor and career-advice expert at Monster.com.

“Find a way to tell stories of how your past work improved a company’s or organisation’s bottom line, and use those numbers.”

NON-TRADITIONAL FEATURES

Don’t be afraid to ditch the traditional resumé and try something different, one expert says. One option growing in popularity among many job seekers is a video CV.

“Including a link to a video resumé is a great way to set yourself apart from the crowd and impress hiring managers,” said Josh Tolan, CEO of online hiring-network, Spark Hire.

“On video, job candidates can show off their personality, communication skills and ambition. It can help hiring managers get a better insight into the candidate and will allow them to envision how the candidate would fit into the company culture. Employers want to see job candidates who are confident and able to come up with creative solutions to common problems, and video resumés are a great way to” demonstrate just those qualities.

This article originally appeared on BusinessNewsDaily and is republished here with permission

Originally published as How to improve your CV: 12 tips of things you should include