As a recruiter who has been in the industry for almost 7 years, I have had the pleasure of speaking to candidates from all walks of life and see a wide variety of CVs. The topic that I get asked the most about from candidates, friends, and family is all about CVs.
‘Where do I even start with my CV’
‘How do I make my CV stand out?’
Regardless of the sector, my advice is always the same be specific and do not assume that everyone knows what your job role is, as every role is different regardless of the job title. Unfortunately, when you google how to write a CV it will advise you to ensure you are a ‘team player that also works well on your own initiative etc and I find that people can get lost in trying to list all of their possible character traits without giving any examples explaining how they have put this into practice in their current or past employment.
My top tip would be to be specific about your experience and write it like a case study or like you are structuring an essay using the ‘PEE’ technique (Point, Evidence, Example).
- What are you currently doing? (Be Specific)
- Give an example of how you dealt with a situation positively
- What was the positive outcome of this example or how has this improved your current workplace?
For instance:
- I am confident at dealing with challenging behaviour
- In my current role, I support a young boy who is 13 with learning disabilities and displays physically challenging behaviour on a daily basis. Through reading his care plan and getting to know him I have a good understanding of his triggers and how to de-escalate his behaviours. When his behaviour becomes heightened, I will get down to his level and suggest we go outside for a walk in a calm soft voice and I can instantly feel the change in his behaviour. I have been supporting him for 3 months and the management team has noticed a significant decrease in his behaviours and have given me positive feedback about my ability to build a strong relationship with the young people.
How much more confident are you in my ability to deal with challenging behaviour after reading the second statement?
The benefit of going through a recruitment agency is that we know exactly what character traits our clients will be looking for on your CV and can support you to pull out the examples from your experience. It is important to not overload your CV with information, whilst also pulling out the experience that is relevant to the role you are applying to.
If you are looking for CV advice please do not hesitate to pick up the phone and reach out to us today or email us at info@riversrecruitment.co.uk
Job satisfaction comes in many forms when you work in recruitment; my eyes lighting up when I get a great CV, the support and guidance I give when someone is nervous about their interview, and finally, the excitement in their voice when you give them the news that “You got the job”!
Hot tip for anyone looking for a new role – your recruiter is a specialist in their field, pick their brain on what you could do to improve no matter what level you are at. People looking to learn and progress are the future Seniors, Team Leaders, Managers, and Operations Directors. We are here to help you get there.
I’m a big believer in the saying “choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” that is why I love recruitment it has given me the opportunity to recruit in a sector I’m extremely passionate about! Each day I get the opportunity to speak to passionate people who are excited about encouraging and helping young people achieve positive outcomes. I get great enjoyment helping people through the recruitment process- from receiving the CV, the first initial chat through to interview prep, and of course that exciting call saying “you got the job”!
My love for this sector started when I graduated University and started working for a provider that supported children and adults with learning difficulties. I started in direct support roles in residential settings and worked my way to managing a 7 bed residential home for young adults and adults with learning difficulties.