What is your CV missing?

You’ve written your CV and it has all the obvious sections – Contact Details, Key Skills, Education and Professional Experience. You’ve quantified your achievements, checked your spelling and created a killer layout. But you may be asking yourself “What I have I forgotten to include on my CV? What can I add to stand out?”.

Here, CV Shed has some suggestions for some additional information that you might like to think about, to set yourself apart from other applicants. Remember though – don’t add anything that isn’t relevant to the roles you’re targeting. A recruiter doesn’t want to wade through reams of unrelated information to find the bits they need. 

Write a professional profile

This section isn’t really negotiable – you need it on your CV, but for some reason many people don’t include it. Think of the profile as your elevator pitch. How would you introduce yourself to a hiring manager and why would they want to recruit you? Position your profile at the top of the CV, to hook the recruiter and encourage them to read on. 

Include languages

We’re working in a global marketplace and with multinational colleagues. Any language that you can speak beyond English is a great selling point and emphasises your superior communication skills. Don’t forget to state your level of fluency, too.

Improve your CV with IT skills

Most roles require some level of IT proficiency, so why not mention which specific applications you can use? Don’t forget to list any coding languages you know, as well as key software. Industry-specific packages always help your CV to shine. 

Add your professional development 

Think beyond your formal academic education to include any further learning. This covers training courses, online learning, workshops, conferences, certifications and much more. Whilst experience goes a long way to showing off your value, further professional development shows off your commitment to ongoing learning, anchors in some additional keywords and emphasises knowledge that may not be coming through elsewhere. 

Link your CV to your portfolio

If you’re in the type of role that enables you to build a portfolio of work, such as writing, design or game development, for example, it can be useful to add a hyperlink to your portfolio in the contact details section. 

Link your CV to your LinkedIn profile

Similarly, if you have a complete and up-to-date LinkedIn profile, include a link to that as well. Recruiters will often check out your online presence, so direct them to somewhere curated and professional. 

Don't forget to include voluntary work

It’s not just paid work that counts! It’s usually worthwhile to include unpaid experience on a CV. At the start of your career, voluntary work can convey that you’re employable, have experience in a work environment and possess the basic skills needed to step onto the career ladder. As your career becomes more established, it shows that you have a life beyond the office, are willing to give back to the community and potentially have diverse and higher-level skills that would enable you to progress professionally. 

Does your availability or location sell you?

If you’re available immediately, say so! It may give your application the edge over an equally suitable candidate. Similarly, if you’re willing to relocate, state that, to avoid potential employers being put off by your location on the other side of the country.

Do you have any industry affiliations?

Membership of chartered bodies or institutions should always be included, as they lend credibility to your CV. Don’t forget to add the letters after your name at the top of your CV and spell out the acronyms later on. 

Security clearances can be a bonus

Lots of roles require security clearances at some level. It’s worth mentioning if you have any government or military clearances – or even just a DBS check – if you’re applying for roles where this may be a consideration. 

Explain career breaks on your CV

Rather than just glossing over gaps in your CV and hoping that no-one will notice, call them out positively. Explain what you did with the time – raising a family, travelling and recovering from illness are all perfectly valid reasons to take a break and there are plenty more. It only needs a line or two to set the reader’s mind at rest. If the reason for the gap is because you were fired, in prison or otherwise unemployed, then just focus on what you learnt or achieved during that time without dwelling on the negatives. 

So now you have some ideas on how to strengthen your CV, what are you going to add? 

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