Reset and Refresh!

Now we're taking small but positive steps towards release from lockdown, it's a great time to review your resume and get application ready.

We've been involved in recruiting staff for a variety of fashion roles in for many years and we're always amazed by how many CV's we receive that have information that's not relevant to the role, or is out-of-date.

Whether you're about to embark on your first step on the fashion ladder, considering a career move, even a complete change of role or you've sadly been made redundant, this post provides some practical tips on helping you tidy up your CV to make sure it really reflects where you are now and sells your skills and expertise effectively.

Don’t rush in to it: Whether you’re looking to progress, change the type of role you’re doing, or wanting to work in a different type of business, it’s really important to do some research first. Look at the jobs you’re interested in – what skills and experience are they looking for? Does your current CV reflect that you match the requirements of the role? If not, then think about examples you can use that show you’ve got what the company is looking for.

Take some time to reflect: what are your most recent achievements? What are you most proud of? Does your CV showcase this? Your CV is one of your prime marketing tools – make it work for you by updating it with your most recent results.

Tailor your CV to the role: Think of your CV as a story you’re telling about yourself – your narrative should match the skills and experience that an employer is looking for. It’s absolutely critical that you highlight in your CV how you meet the requirements for a job. One of the main reasons people fail to get to interview is that they send the same CV to each company they’re applying to, without taking into account the different attributes and expertise that company is looking for

Focus on results: Don’t just describe the tasks you have carried out – shout about the results you’ve achieved by carrying out those tasks – this might be increasing sales, implementing new processes that have increased effectiveness, creating a new marketing strategy that drove up revenue – whatever it is, make sure it’s on there!

Put the important information on the front page: Most employers spend a maximum of about 30 seconds reading CVs so make sure that the key information is on the first page. This might mean adding in a ‘Skills’ section that highlights, with examples, of the key skills you have – choose skills that are a requirement of the job you’re applying for, and the employer will immediately be interested.

Keep it concise: Ideally your CV should be no longer than 2 pages of A4. If you have a long work history, be critical with jobs you held several years ago – how much information do you really need to include about them? Unless they are relevant to the role you’re applying for, it’s perfectly acceptable to keep it brief – just the name of the organisation, role, years worked there and a sentence about your key achievement there.

Review your portfolio: is it truly reflecting where you are now professionally? Freshen it up with examples of recent projects and include professional social media links such as LinkedIn and creative Instagram accounts which showcase your work, not forgetting online portfolio's.

SELL YOURSELF! Think about the language you’re using in your CV – use powerful action words to make your experience stand out – have a look at this list for inspiration https://www.themuse.com/advice/185-powerful-verbs-that-will-make-your-resume-awesome

Finally... it’s always really good to get a second opinion – use your networks, friends, family and recruitment industry contacts – ask them their opinion on your CV and use the feedback given!

Don't forget that we're always here to assist you get new-fashion-job-ready - drop us a line at hello@cadresourcing.com - we'd be very happy to help!