Case study: How Katie side-stepped into a new role

The client

Katie had been working in HR Generalist roles for 14 years and wanted to move into a role focused on HR information systems. There was a role advertised with her current employer that seemed to be exactly what she was looking for.

The problem

Katie’s existing CV was outdated – there was no role-specific information, nor did it show how she’d contributed to the business. Critically, there seemed to be very little overlap between her previous roles and her target role, so the new CV somehow needed to convey her suitability despite little relevant experience.

The solution

I asked Katie to send me the advert for the role she was interested in, so that I could align her CV as much as possible with the specified requirements. We then had an extended consultation, during which her enthusiasm for the new role really shone through. She knew she could do it, we just had to convey that somehow on the CV.

Having identified the key words in the job advert, we discussed where her experience overlapped and included as many examples as possible. I also built an achievement-heavy CV, so that the hiring manager could see that she was able to deliver results consistently. As the professional experience wasn’t quite strong enough on its own, I also mentioned some relevant activities outside of work that would boost the credibility of the CV.

A cover letter was also required, which gave me the opportunity to expand on Katie’s insight into the company and the industry, as well as reinforce her qualifications for the role. In particular, it emphasised her IT systems knowledge.

The result

Katie sent her application off on Friday and was invited to an interview the next Thursday. The following Tuesday, I received a very excited message telling me she’d got the job! Her CV was enough to land her the interview and, combined with the natural enthusiasm she’d shown in the interview, the team were impressed enough to offer her the role. I hope she settles in quickly and wish her luck going forward.

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