How To Write A CV With Relevant Work Experience

Your CV is one of the first impressions the employers will have of you before they meet you in person, so it’s important to use the available space to highlight the work experiences that are most pertinent to the job you are applying for.

For you to have a job-winning CV, take time to critically think about your past experiences and ask yourself questions like:

• What transferable skills did this role help me develop?
• Were there any projects or achievements that are especially noteworthy?
• How can I showcase soft skills like communication, leadership, or problem-solving?
• What value did my work provide and how can I communicate that?

Thinking through reflective questions can help you focus on drafting a modern that emphasizes your strongest selling points rather than simply listing everything you’ve ever done.

Here are some proven tips to help you showcase your most relevant qualifications through your work experience section.

1. Demonstrate How Your Skills Align with the Job Requirements

The key is conveying how your past roles have equipped you with the skills, accomplishments, and responsibilities that match what the hiring manager is looking for.

Review the job description closely to identify the core qualifications desired. Then when describing each role, focus on concrete examples that illustrate how you meet those requirements through your experience.

Did you take on similar projects or tasks? Did you gain transferable technical skills or abilities? Connect the dots clearly to present yourself as a strong candidate.

2. Quantify Your Achievements When Possible

Adding numbers and statistics helps bring your experiences to life. For any quantifiable results you achieved, like increased sales, user growth, time/cost savings, be sure to note the measurements.

Instead of vaguely stating you “improved processes,” say that you “streamlined procedures by 25%, reducing processing time by over 2 days on average.”

Quantifying like this emphasizes the tangible impacts of your work in a memorable way.

3. Tailor Different Versions of Your CV

Rather than using a one-size-fits-all CV, prepare tailored variations optimized for different types of roles. Modify the order and emphasis you give different experiences based on their relevance.

For more senior positions, highlight your most senior roles first while de-emphasizing less applicable junior roles. equally, junior roles may be more pertinent for entry-level applications.

Consider having versions saved reflecting different career paths as well to save time tailoring each time.

4. Proofread Thoroughly and Have Others Review

It may be obvious, but sometimes in the rush to apply, we miss small errors that undermine our professional presentation.

Have a trusted colleague, advisor, or a professional CV writer to review your CV with a critical eye. Focus on improving and fine-tuning with each draft. A polished, error-free final product will leave the best impression on the recruiters.

Conclusion

With some targeted tweaking of how you highlight and emphasize relevant qualifications from past roles, you can optimize your CV to strongly appeal to potential employers in your desired industry or field.

Taking the time to thoughtfully curate and package your experience story may make all the difference. Are you in a dilemma on how to strongly package your resume? Our Professional CV Writers are available to craft you a job-winning CV.