Having more work experience under your belt does not necessarily mean that your CV will be better, here are some steps that you can take to ensure that it will stand out from the crowd and not end up in the waste bin.
Many people believe, somewhat unfairly, that it must be much easier for a person who has 15-20 years working experience to write a winning CV than it is for a graduate or someone who is just starting out in their career path. In fact the very opposite is true. With a wealth of working experience behind you, it can be difficult to decide which pieces of information need to be included in your CV, and which skills and achievements you need to portray.
For individuals with a mature career, recruiters are generally looking for CVs that demonstrates successful and varied managerial skills, potentially spanning a range of industries. Whilst you may not have held a specific managerial role previously, you must be able to demonstrate that you have used successful managerial skills, in some capacity, in the past. Often the roles that are appealing to individuals with a mature CV are focused on developing business plans and strategies, forging teams and motivating others to deliver successful outcomes. The technical skills and knowledge that are learnt in your earlier career tend to be less important than managerial skills, reputation and the ability to influence.
Part of the challenge for some individuals in creating a winning mature CV is demonstrating that they are ready to move from a smaller ’technical’ focus to a broader ’bigger picture’ focus. This includes being able to demonstrate political astuteness, commercial awareness and strong ’people’ and interpersonal skills.
So, let’s look at the key aspects needed to pull together a fantastic mature CV:
The Checklist
* Personal contact details - Name, Address, Telephone Numbers and an Email address.
* A career objective - One or two short lines that state your overarching career aim.
* A strong competency statement - Two or three paragraphs that focus on your skills, experience and personal attributes. These should be supported by real examples of your abilities and should demonstrate managerial or leadership skills, commercial astuteness and interpersonal skills.
* Full educational qualifications.
* Details of all relevant jobs you have held, omitting low level positions from your earlier career - Ensure you have listed your key responsibilities and achievements for each role. An emphasis on sustained achievement is key, along with demonstrable energy, enthusiasm and strategic thinking.
* Full details of two, appropriate referees.
What the Employers say…
"When I'm reading a candidate's CV, I want to see their experience demonstrated through the CV…I want to see examples of their abilities, not just be told that they exist" - Lara, Associate Director
"I believe that the presentation of a CV reflects the presentation of the person. So I’m looking for a CV which has a good, consistent layout which depicts clear and concise information" - Marion, General Manager
"I want to see a solid track record of managerial experience or abilities" - Henry, Managing Director
"A mature CV should highlight a solid and logical career progression, with a clear demonstration of drive and motivation to progress" - Catherina, Director
"Spelling, punctuation and grammar, alongside sentence construction, should be almost perfect" - Carl, HR
"Even in a mature CV you'd want to see enthusiasm and an understanding and interest articulated" - David, Sales Manager
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