When it comes to seeking contract roles, an impactful CV plays an essential role. Just like a business needs a great website to impress potential clients, or a tradesperson needs signage on their van, contractors need a great CV. Think of it as your prime marketing tool that is designed to sell your talents and services to a potential client.
The CV is broken up into a number of sections as follows:
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Keep in mind that your professional background may call for other sections like Publications, Non-Executive Director Positions, or Multilingual Skills. If you’re a techy, including a section for Technical Proficiency could also be advantageous. This guide primarily concentrates on critical components that are applicable to most IT contractors, however, employ your discretion to incorporate any additional elements you deem appropriate.
This guide will explain how to create each key section.
The Profile: This is the first main section that recruiters/clients should read. It provides a brief yet engaging overview of your expertise, spotlighting areas potential clients desire. After reading this section, your talents should seem pertinent and inspire the reader to continue perusing your CV. This section should start with your professional title e.g., IT Project Manager, then a value proposition statement, and then your top strengths. Aim for about 8 lines.
Key Skills: This is an essential section for ensuring your CV pops up in keyword searches during the selection process. Including all the vital skills relevant to your field increases the chances of your CV being discovered on various platforms. Have between 12 and 18 short skills listed as bullet points in 2 columns e.g., Project Management, Stakeholder Management, or Software Development.
Projects: A section for your key pieces of work will showcase your achievements, making your CV a persuasive business case for your services. This section is what sets you apart from competitors. Use specific examples, focusing on projects that align with the contract role you're targeting. Have 3 at any one point in time and write them as mini case studies using the STAR formula (Situation, Task, Actions, and Results). Keep them to no more than 6 lines each.
Experience: In the Experience section, pay special attention to your last five to six years of work. Start with bullet points about the organisation, your role purpose, your team, and perhaps your KPIs. This will build context, helping the reader to understand your role. Go on to explain the tasks that you performed and back everything up with a liberal smattering of achievements (business benefits you delivered). Bullet points should be two lines long – concise yet informative.
Other sections: The rest of your CV will vary depending on your career specifics. Generally, an Earlier Career section for roles older than 6 years and sections for qualifications and contact details are essential. IT professionals often have a section for Technical Proficiency. If you're a senior professional, consider sections for public speaking or published work.
Recommendations: Swap the classic "References available on request" line with robust Recommendations, or what we sometimes call Testimonials, from credible previous clients. This adds a strong finish to your CV.
Outside IR35? If you operate outside IR35, consider strategies to ensure your CV highlights this. Use a business email address, avoid an Employment History section in favour of Experience or Positions, indicate that you are an independent professional, and avoid the use of 'I' and 'my'.
Here are some additional tips
Easy read length
Typically, a Recruiter will not spend more than a minute on a single CV. Hence, try to keep your CV to 3 pages, maybe 4 if you are super experienced. Keep your CV professional throughout - use a formal tone and never mention any unnecessary personal details.
Use proactive action verbs
Start your bullet points or statements with power verbs like managed, developed, organised, lead, streamlined etc.
Quantify your work or achievements where possible
Let’s say you are applying for a position in IT sales and want to showcase an achievement – it might read something like this: “Exceeded sales targets by an average of 18% every quarter in the year 2022”. Your CV needs to be at least 30% focused on outcomes and the more tangible you can make them, the more they are likely to impress a potential client.
Tailor your CV to the role
Don't create a generic CV and send it to everyone. No two companies are the same and every position is different. Research the position and company you are applying to, and tailor your accordingly. Make sure your go-to-market description aligns with the job title, make sure your value proposition aligns with the purpose of the role, and use your STAR case studies to prove you have a track record in the areas the client needs assistance.
Use job-specific keywords
If you are posting your CV online to recruitment websites and job boards, you need to use relevant keywords, descriptive words, and industry acronyms, allowing the search software to identify you as a suitable candidate. The Key Skills section after your profile is a good start but make sure the content of your CV throughout matches the job advert/contract brief.
Should you invest in your CV?
Earlier in the guide, we drew some parallels between businesses needing a great website to impress potential clients, and tradespersons needing signage on their van to look professional and attract customers. The thing is, businesses and tradespersons invest money into their marketing assets. The question is, should you?
Many contractors do invest in professional CV writing services to win more work at better rates. If your competition is doing it, then perhaps you should too.
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