4 Things You Forgot To Include In Your CV

By Lisa Osiako

When writing your CV, think of it like a movie trailer – something that brings out the best parts of the movie and makes one want to see the whole movie.

You want to provide information that brings out your value and persuades the one reading your CV to want to learn more about you. Therefore, highlight the best parts and most notable achievements, so that potential employers can see the full picture of what you have to offer.

With this in mind, you may be unsure of how best to capture your qualifications and achievements without sounding biased. In the process, you may undervalue yourself and leave out important information off your CV.

RELATED ARTICLE >>> 3 Tips To Help Your CV Stand Out

Here are a few things you forgot to include in your CV:

1. Metrics

While it is important to highlight the specifics of your role, if you are not highlighting your achievements, your CV will not be as effective as it should be. Seek to show a potential employer what you have accomplished so that they can get a better idea of what you will bring to the company.

Include as much data and metrics as possible.

Here are examples of questions to ask yourself and enable you to gather metrics to include in your CV:

• How many accounts did you manage?
• How much in sales volume did you secure? (weekly, monthly, or annually)
• Did you reduce cost? (either by a percentage or dollar amount)
• How many clients did you interact with (daily, weekly, monthly, or annually)
• Did you manage a team? If so, how many team members did you manage?

2. Side Hustles

Have you published an e-book? Do you manage an online business?

Highlighting side hustles and passion projects is a good way to give insight into who you are as a person and enables a reader to see another side of you.

They also serve in highlighting related experience, motivation, and the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently. A potential employer can get a better sense of your value as a candidate.

If you’ve had significant accomplishments in your personal life, you should include them on your CV as long as they don’t conflict with the position you’re applying for.

3. Volunteer Work

Do you volunteer every Saturday at a local restaurant? Do you spend time coaching a football team? Have you had an unpaid internship?

While you may not be working for profit, volunteer work not only helps you build meaningful relationships but also provides you with valuable experience. This can help you make a good impression on employers and show some of the skills you possess.

The experience you gain may provide you with opportunities to increase your expertise in client-facing communication, multi-tasking, or just provide you with additional industry experience to add to your CV.

4. Short Courses, Specialized Training or On the Job Training

Many jobs require certain skills such as QuickBooks, Project Management or Digital Marketing. Take a course so that you can get the skills required and stand out in the job market.

Including certifications and specialized training helps highlight your expertise and adds value to you as a candidate. If you can show that you’re well-versed in a qualification or requirement of the position, this will help you stand out from the crowd.

Another thing that you may have forgotten to include in your CV is on-the-job training. Did your company host a training workshop on workplace violence or on specific software that was being implemented? You can include this on your CV.

Any time you took a professional development course, sat in on a seminar, or improved your skillset, it’s worth adding that to your CV.

QUICK READ >>> Short Courses That Could Boost your Career In 2019

In Conclusion,

If you have left out any of this information in your CV, this is the time to update it. Read over the job description to familiarize yourself with what the employer is looking for, and include it in your CV.

You can also send your current CV to a professional CV Writer Here for more guidance.