How to Tailor Your CV to Suit the Job You Are

Sharp Consultancy Supports Yorkshire Children’s Charity’s annual schools day out at Cannon Hall Farm.

On Wednesday, September 11th, half of our staff from both the Sheffield and Leeds offices volunteered to support Yorkshire Children’s Charity. Each year, this charity provides hundreds of children from schools across Yorkshire with the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic day out at Cannon Hall Farm, and they rely on many volunteers to make this happen.This year, over 600 children who might otherwise not be able to enjoy a day trip like this, partook in what turned out to be a brilliant day. Yorkshire Children’s Charity is very close to our hearts here at Sharp Consultancy as not only is it focused on the county we call home, the charity helps children who for a variety of reasons, are in a position of disadvantage. For many of these children, this was their first visit to a farm and possibly their first experience outside their local area. Apart from a brief deluge for 10 minutes at the start of the day and a light shower at the end the day, the rain mostly stayed away. The team from Sharp Consultancy, along with many other volunteers helped get the packed lunches delivered, drinks poured, biscuits distributed and joined the teachers showing the children around the farm – from reptile houses to the pig pens (much holding of noses and retching noises!), tractor rides to see Llama’s and reindeer, sheep racing, ferret racing, meerkats and mongoose. It was a day like no other.No matter how old you are, if you think back really hard, you can probably just about remember the first time you saw a snake or huge monitor lizard in a zoo; or goggled at the size of a shire horse and the amazement you felt – multiply this by 608 children and you might just have some idea how special the day was. And don’t children ask the best questions. I have never been asked so many questions I didn’t know the answer to – ‘Why do snakes put their heads in that position?’ Why are some leaf cutter ants carrying leaves to their nest and some carrying them away from their nest?’ Why is that cow laying down and that one stood up?’ my answer – ‘it must be tired’ – there response ‘what’s it been doing to get tired?’ Or my favourite ‘What can run faster, a meerkat or a ferret?’. The team here at Sharp Consultancy had an amazing day (I think if enjoyment could be measured, we’d have given the children a run for their money!) It was a humbling and enlightening experience and on occasions, very emotional (my word, you really appreciate just exactly how lucky you are and have been). Most of all though it was a delight to meet 608 amazing young people, dozens of teachers and assistants (you really are heroes, and nothing will make me change my mind on that) and all our fellow volunteers and charity employees Annabel and Abbie – join the teachers in our collective hero worship. A day to remember…forever.

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Tailoring your CV to be relevant to each application is one of the most crucial steps to take when looking for a new role. Making sure that your CV address each of the key criteria outlined in the job description is essential and will have a significant impact on whether you land that all important interview.

Whilst many candidates will (or should!) always have an up-to-date CV to hand, it is unlikely that simply submitting this each time you apply for a job will be enough to make you stand out from the crowd with a potential employer when they have dozens, if not hundreds, of applications being received for the most sought-after roles.

With so many applications to sift through, it is important that a prospective employer can see at a glance that your application ticks as many boxes as possible from the list of essential and desirable criteria outlined in the job description. And having lots of great information buried amongst paragraph after paragraph of text will do you no favours – your CV must be direct, punchy and straight-to-the-point so the hiring manager can clearly see that you have the skills and experience that they are looking for.

So, how can you tailor your CV for interview success?

Carefully read the job description and make sure that the language you use reflects that which has been outlined by the employer.
Consider how you can align your knowledge and experience with the specific requirements of the role; where possible give clear examples that back up your suitability.
Demonstrate how your achievements to date match the goals and objectives of role you are applying for. Highlight any successes, and evidence these with results that reflect the outcomes the business is aiming for itself.
Think about the industry sector and the skills which are going to be more appealing to a would-be employer; even in roles where the job title is the same there will be differences in what is required so it is important that you demonstrate that you understand that certain knowledge and experience may be more relevant to one sector than another.
Consider the level of responsibility you will be required to have in the role and ensure that, if applicable, you focus attention on areas such as line management experience, leadership style and staff development as well as your own personal attributes.
Use your personal statement to outline your experience, approach and ambitions and tailor these to be line with the company’s expectations of the role.
Do not be afraid to leave things out of your CV. As you progress in your career, it is not always suitable to include every aspect of every role that you have previously held. Make sure you understand what a prospective employer is looking for, so they don’t have to search through long-winded descriptions to find the nuggets that are of interest.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today to find out more.