6 Crucial Questions Your CV Must Answer Before You Submit

Sarah was excited to submit her CV for a role she saw advertised. She had been working hard behind the scenes to develop her skills and experience over the past year, volunteering whenever she could to boost her resume.

However, as she reviewed her CV one last time before hitting send, doubts started to creep in. Did her CV clearly highlight why she was the best candidate for the job? Did she give thee hiring manager everything they needed to make an informed decision about her?

These are important questions every jobseeker should be asking themselves before sending off their CV. A poorly crafted CV that fails to address the employers’ needs is unlikely to get the candidate’s application very far.

To make sure your CV is working to its full potential, it needs to clearly answer the following 6 crucial questions:

1. What experience and skills do you have that are most relevant?

With limited space on a typical one or two-page CV, you need to be strategic about what information to include.

Focus on 2-3 of your most recent and relevant roles or experiences and expand on the specifics of what you achieved and the tangible results or impact of your work.

Quantify your achievements wherever possible using metrics and statistics. Hiring managers want to quickly identify how you will add value and solve problems, so direct their attention to your most selling points.

2. What have you achieved or improved in previous roles?

Beyond listing responsibilities, employers want to see evidence of your impact and achievements in past roles. Focus on outcomes rather than tasks.

For example, instead of saying “Managed a team of 5 people”, say “Led a team of 5 people, improving on-time project delivery by 25%”.

Think about any processes, systems, or initiatives you improved or problems you solved to improve performance.

3. What skills and qualifications do you have?

In addition to experience, clearly outline the skills and qualifications you possess that are relevant to the role. Be specific about programs or software you are proficient in.

Consider including both technical/hard skills as well as softer skills like communication, problem-solving, and collaboration abilities.

You can list them in point form for easy scanning or in paragraph form woven into your experience descriptions.

4. How will you add value and make an impact?

Rather than focusing on what the company can offer you, think about what value you will provide if hired. Convey how your background aligns strategically with where the organization is headed.

Explain how you can help them achieve goals or targets. Hiring managers want to visualize the impact you will make so help paint that picture.

5. What are your career aspirations and interests?

While a CV focuses on your past experience and achievements, employers also want to understand your motivations and future potential.

Clearly outline your relevant career goals and interests to show how this role fits into your broader career path. This gives insight into your commitment, versatility, and likely tenure if hired – all valuable traits to prospective employers.

6. Do you have the right qualifications and fit for this role?

The finer details of education, qualifications, and other information should support why you possess the right level of training, knowledge, and cultural fit to perform the advertised role.

Make sure all your background aligns with and exceeds any essential or desired criteria specified in the job description.

This could involve framing relevant coursework, accreditations, or language abilities in your experience descriptions.

In conclusion, a well-structured CV that strategically addresses these key questions will put your best foot forward and demonstrate your suitability and potential value to employers. By thoughtfully addressing what they really want to know, you maximize your chances of job applications piquing interest and landing important first-round interviews.

If you don’t have the bandwidth to optimize your CV yourself right now but still want to maximize your chances of landing select opportunities, consider our Professional CV writing service to gain a competitive edge in the job market.