Get your personality to shine in your CV

Get your personality to shine in your CV

Your personality is unique. No-one has the same behavioural make-up and personal attributes that you have. Likewise, everyone’s career history is also unique. Why is it then that a great many CVs read like job descriptions or CV templates and give away very little about the individual behind the CV? It is almost as if many job seekers are afraid to let their personality shine through.

Be yourself

Perhaps in a corporate world of blue suits and black-shoes-only for city slickers, the tone is set for CVs too. Better to shuffle along as part of the pack. Don’t raise your head above the parapet. I’m sure there are a few more metaphors job seekers have unwittingly reverberating around their heads. But there is a conundrum here: you want your CV to stand out and yet at the same time are afraid of saying anything that might stand you out?

Find words that best describe your personal attributes

The problem with the above thinking is painfully obvious. Your CV will be dull, generic and likely to be swiftly passed over by an employer. Surely it is much better to be brave and bold? To define your personal brand as marketers might say. This isn’t about making unsupportable statements, it is about finding words that describe the personal qualities that drive your success. In short, what makes you good at your job.

Read Also : How to self-assess your skills

It can be difficult to write about yourself

Writing about oneself can sometimes be difficult. It takes the ability to look at yourself from other people’s perspectives. Working with a professional CV writer is one way to provide that external reflection and help present your character positively within a CV. Asking a trusted colleague is also a good way to find how others view your strengths. A thesaurus also helps.

 It is vital to let your personality shine in your CV

Try not to use classic recruitment clichés. Everyone says they have great ‘communication’ or ‘organisational’ skills. This looks like wallpaper to recruiters. Think carefully about who you are and what you bring and then be bold in expressing your personal qualities. Give recruiters something original to engage with.

The professional profile at the beginning of your CV is the best section to state your personal attributes. So too is an interests section. However, all the way through your CV the reader should be gaining a deeper flavour of your personality. You are unique and your CV should reflect this. Be proud about what you have to offer and allow your personality to show through.