When it comes to updating or writing your CV, it can feel like a huge challenge. The jobs market is an ever increasingly fast-paced place, and jobs trends can change month on month with the market which means that CVs change too.  

Photo by Karolina Grabowska at Pexels.com  

Employers are looking for someone special and as more people gain qualifications, more types of jobs open up and digital jobs continue to boom, it is important to keep on top of things! 

Time for a spring clean of your CV? Here’s 5 things you MUST include in 2022 

Talk About WFH Experience 

        Photo by Ketut Subiyanko at Pexels.com                                           Photo by Vlada Karpovick at Pexels.com     

While the debate still rages over the benefits, or not, of remote working, there is no doubt that flexible working and the virtual office is here to stay.  If you have experiences to share about successful and productive then talk about it! Make sure you sell yourself as a self-motivated worker, productive, proactive and working under your own initiative. 

Highlight Results over Responsibilities 

This is one of the most common things people do in their employment history. It’s not a mistake to talk about responsibilities but if you fail to mention the results and achievements you made then it is a wasted opportunity! Don’t feel as though you need to remove the word ’responsibility’ from your CV vocabulary, just make sure to follow it up with what you did with that responsibility. For example:

“I was responsible for monitoring digital campaigns through the use of strategic reporting. As part of this process, I was able to identify new opportunities which emerged, increasing our client retention by XXX % in 2020”

Create a Compelling and Relevant Introduction 

 This is a tip on every CV advice list but it is always worth repeating. It is too easy to get complacent with your personal profile and CV intro, especially if you are applying for a lot of similar jobs. Do:

• Check your introduction for each CV you send
• Use keywords from the job description
• Confirm you have the essential skills required from the role.  

Writing Your CV for ATS   

Photo by Negative Space at Pexels.com 

 Many big companies now are using applicant tracker systems to whittle down large numbers of applicants. There are a few simple things you can do to make sure you make it through the first scan. 

As we have mentioned in the section above, identifying and using keywords from the job description throughout your CV (think skills, qualifications, experience) will be a big help in the ATS recognising your document as belonging to a viable candidate.  

Avoid ‘overdesigning’ your CV with fancy fonts and borders as these can confused the ATS search functions. Check here for acceptable fonts and more tips! 

Address any COVID Downtime 

 This is inevitable. Most people will have experienced either working from home, a period of furlough or even redundancy during the recent pandemic. This is an ongoing part of life for many and has affected the career prospects of hundreds of thousands of people. You are not alone in this. Think about what you did with your time during lockdown. Don’t be afraid to get creative with writing it up! Gaining qualifications, reassessing your priorities and even taking part in sports challenges can teach you beneficial and transferrable skills, so let your prospective employer know about it.  

Writing Your CV Doesn’t Have To Take Forever 

 Photo by Cottonbro at Pexels.com 

It always seems like a daunting process, but not updating your CV will just mean your hours spent sending CVs out will be wasted. Keep it simple, keep it relevant and don’t be afraid to state proudly what you can do and why.  

Digital jobs can take you all round the world and offer some of the best flexible opportunities. The digital world has with room for more growth than many other industries.  

 If you’d like to hear more, and see where your CV can take you, get in touch today! We’d love to hear from you.