Applying for jobs can be a daunting task. But when you’re applying to foreign companies, it goes from daunting to downright intimidating. Here is a secret to make it less intimidating: have a winning CV.
You know what they say about first impressions? Your CV is the first impression a potential employer has of you. The best part? You don’t need to be physically there to make that impression.
When you know you know how to make that first impression the best it can be, the job application becomes a lot less intimidating.
Here is how you can craft a winning CV when applying for UK based jobs.
First off, play a little pretend game. Look at your CV from an employer’s perspective.
You know the foremost question an employer has when he’s looking at a CV? He asks: is this guy a good fit for the role? So, whatever you write, make sure each and every sentence highlights that you’re the best man for the job. Make it a fact.
Just don’t state it explicitly.
And how do you do that?
1. You’ve got to know the skills and experience required for the job. So, do your research on your potential employer, find out the skills they require for your desired roles. If you have those skills, make sure you say so in your CV. It doesn’t matter if those skills were gained in a different industry, as long as it’s relevant to the role. If you gained those skills in a bakery, say so, but emphasize how it’s transferrable to their job context.
It shows you know your onions.
2. The UK is more than just an English speaking country, it is the mother of all English speaking countries. So, how well you can speak English matters a lot. You’ve got to be able to communicate with your coworkers after all, or productivity will take a plunge. Your employer doesn’t want that.
So, if you have any certifications in the English language, you better show that in your CV. If you don’t, then you better not make a grammatical or spelling error.
3. Employers hate uncoordinated individuals. In today’s globalized market, specialization is the key to productivity. Coordination between different specialists in an organization is an essential lifeline.
If your CV is not well structured and easy to read, that shows you’re uncoordinated. Which brings us to the second step in crafting a winning CV.
Let’s play a little peeking game. Find out what is in your competitors’ CV, then make sure they’re in yours.
Employers have come to expect a certain structure in their applicant’s CV. There are some common elements a CV must contain, or it’s not complete.
Your CV must contain all these elements. It helps the employer structure the information you provided, which helps with decision making. Additionally, when the same elements can be found in your CV as are found in others, then it’s easy to compare which is better.
If yours is too different, they will have a hard time making a comparison. And in case you don’t know it, comparison is how you stand out.
So, what are some elements that must be in your CV? I would have loved to list them in order. Unfortunately, there are two different formats for structuring a CV, so that won’t work.
1. Personal Information
This includes your name, contact information, current address (if relevant) and your LinkedIn profile (optional).
Though I would really advise you to add your LinkedIn profile, unless it’s clearly going to be a handicap. In today’s world, being progressive is a huge plus.
LinkedIn is the Facebook of the job market. Like Facebook is to youngsters, if you’re not on it, then you’re an old fogey. No one wants to associate with an old fogey.
2. Personal Statement
In this section of your CV, you must include a clear and concise summary of your experiences, skills and career goals. How you make the statement depends on the CV format you’re going for. We’re going to learn that in the next section of this article.
This is a good place to highlight and emphasize those skills relevant for the UK job market.
3. Work Experiences
In one CV format, this section is barely separated from the personal statement section. In fact, they’re merged into one oftentimes.
In the other format, it’s clearly separated from the personal statement section.
In both formats, however, this is a very important part of your CV. In fact, it is the most important. This is the part that helps the employer decide if you’re a good fit for the job.
Remember those research you did while playing pretend? The one where you wanted to know what he’s looking for? This is the place you pour it all out, put the green goggles over his eyes and make him see Emerald City (you as a potential employee, in this case) as all shiny and beautiful, like he wanted it.
Of course, deception is fatal. So, you better not lie on this part of your CV. If the great Wizard of Oz was later found out, there is high likelihood you will, too.
4. Education And Qualifications
This is where you show your employee the emeralds in your Emerald city. No matter how good your goggles were, and how nice Emerald city looked through them, once your employer gets to this section, he’s gonna put them away and look for the emeralds.
So, pull out those certificates, those prestigious alma maters, those jaw-dropping courses, those eye-popping achievements. Those are what you need to back up those work experiences. They tell the employer that you didn’t pull them out of thin air.
What’s more? Having certifications and traceable alma maters add a whole lot of credibility. Work experiences are like words of mouth, education and qualifications are the cold, hard facts.
5. Skills
I like calling this part the final nail in the coffin. What use are your work experiences and certifications if you didn’t gain any transferable skills from them?
Here, you show your potential employer that those emeralds are, indeed, useful to him. Show him you have those skills he’s looking for.
Have You Played Lego? Because That’s What We’re Going To Do Here.
By playing pretend and peeking, we learnt how your CV should be and what should be on it. Now, it’s time to put those pieces together.
There are two ways you can do that:
Chronological Format
Functional Format
Those are the two CV formats there are.
In the UK, the chronological format is extremely popular. But I advise you learn about each one, then decide which is the best fit. I will help you along.
1. Chronological CV Formats
In this format, you list your jobs in reverse order, starting from the most recent one.
Why use it?
Clear progression: Easily shows your career path and growth.
Traditional format: Widely recognized and understood by recruiters.
Ideal for: Those with a consistent work history and relevant experience.
How to structure it:
Header: Your name, contact information, and a professional summary.
Work Experience: List jobs in reverse chronological order, including job title, company, dates, key responsibilities, and achievements.
Education: List your degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework.
Skills: Highlight technical and soft skills.
Interests and Hobbies: Optional, but can add a personal touch.
2. Functional CV Format
If you had gaps in your job history due to some reason, sickness perhaps, you don’t want it looking like you can’t hold down a job. You won’t be there to explain the reason after all, and there’s no way to tell if you’re telling the truth even if you were there.
So, what do you do? Divert attention. Instead of listing your work experience in chronological order and listing your skills after, you merge your work experience and skills.
What I mean is, state your work experience (job title, company name, key responsibilities, achievements, no dates), then highlight the skill you used to tackle the job, or the skill you developed on the job.
It would help to have a bullet point list of skills required by your potential employer in some reasonable order, then list your work experiences in such a way that you check off those skills one after the other.
That way, the employer sees you acquiring one skill after the other, without really looking at the time you did so.
Playtime Is Over. It’s ShowTime Now. Knock Out Competitors, Be The Last Man Standing. Stand Out!
For the past several paragraphs, we’ve been playing around. But now, it’s time to get serious. So far, whatever is in your CV is probably in your competitors’ CV too.
Don’t get me wrong! The unique experiences differ, after all, you couldn’t have gone to the same school as all your competitors. But chances are, they went to an equally prestigious school, or they had an equally impressive skill set.
You’ve got to stand out. How?
1. Time Zone Awareness
Highlight your ability to work effectively across different time zones.
2. Remote Work Experience
Showcase any previous experience with remote work. Or show you’re fully aware of the intricacies of remote work.
3. Self Discipline And Time Management
This somehow falls under the time zone part. Highlight your ability to work independently and manage time effectively.
You might think these three are obvious to anyone applying for a remote job, but actually showing you’re aware of them sets you apart.
Conclusion
To have a winning CV, you have to put yourself in the perspective of your potential employer, make sure your CV has all it should, choose a CV format that best plays to your advantage and stand out from your competitors.
