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First impressions count, and a CV is often your one and only shot to impress a potential employer. But as someone who’s been in the workforce for several years, how do you condense years’ worth of continuing education, experience, certifications, and awards into one streamlined format that tells the story of your career and achievements?
If you’re at the mid-level of your career, follow these steps to write an effective mid-career resume;
1. Make sure your credentials stand out
If you’ve earned an MBA, PhD or any other credential like an advanced academic degree, military decoration, recognition or accreditation that allows you to put post-nominal letters after your name, do so. Place them after your name at the top of your resume so the hiring manager sees them right away. These credentials are valuable, and as a mid-level job seeker, you’ll want any potential employer to know the qualifications that automatically come with the designation.
2. Include a professional title
Spell out your job goals by including a professional title above your career summary that states your target job title. It could be “Communications Director” or “Business Development Manager”.
3. List your core skills
On average, recruiters spend only six seconds scanning a professional CV before deciding if the candidate is a fit for the role. Most of that time is spent reviewing the information on the top third of the first page. As a job seeker, your goal is to give the reader a snapshot of your goals and qualifications within that first portion of your resume.
Some employers use ATS software to scan applications and determine how compatible the candidate appears to be. By identifying the right keywords found in the job descriptions of your target role and incorporating them into your CV, your application has a better shot at getting past both the human and electronic gatekeepers.
4. Quantify your achievements where possible
It is one thing to say you managed a budget or cut costs in your previous job. However, it’s more impressive when you mention that you managed a Kshs 1.2 million budget and were able to cut costs by 21 percent. Numbers add context and attract the attention of recruiters. Whenever possible, quantify the scope of your role, your notable contributions, and your accomplishments to give the reader a better sense of what your position entailed and how you were able to deliver results.
It’s especially important to use numbers in the bulleted section of each job position to add context to your achievements. For instance, if you’re in sales, mention if you achieved 100 percent or more of your quota.
5. Show career progression
When you’re no longer new to the workforce, recruiters expect your resume to illustrate your career progression. If you’ve taken on greater responsibilities, larger projects, bigger budgets or teams, or earned job title promotions, call out these achievements on your CV. Use a chronological order when highlighting them.
6. Use a two-page CV length
Don’t believe the common myth about resume length. Only college students and entry-level professionals are restricted to a one-page resume. As the length of your work history grows, so does the length of your resume. If you are a mid-level professional, you’ve earned that second page. Use it to elaborate on the details of your recent roles, assuming they’re relevant to your current job goals. Bump your earliest work experience to the second page of your resume and give it less space. Recruiters are most interested in the work you’ve done recently and how that qualifies you for their open position.
7. Link to an online portfolio
Linking to an online portfolio is especially important if the job you’re applying for is more creative, like a graphic designer, copywriter or advertising manager. However, you can create an online profile no matter what industry your career is in, from accounting to manufacturing. Your online portfolio can include your resume and a photo of yourself, and can also feature things like your hobbies, volunteer work and any portfolio-type items you want to include.
8. Place your education section at the bottom
As you gain even more experience in your career, your education may not be as important to a hiring manager. It’s more likely that they’ll have a larger focus on the accomplishments you had post-graduation. You might remove your graduation year too, as your level of experience could deem this information irrelevant in comparison.
Finally;
Whether you’re actively looking for a new position to advance to the next level of your career or you’re simply keeping your career options open, take the time to update your CV and make it look as polished as possible. That way, when your dream job comes along, you’ll be ready with a resume that’s proven to get the attention of the decision makers that matter most.
Ready to revamp your mid-level resume? Let a professional CV Writing expert help you!
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