My CV  Resume Critique Part 2/4

CV Writing

Your career summary is not as strong as it should be.  This is a key component to compel the hiring manager to keep reading.   Improve your career summary to define you as a professional and cover those areas most relevant to your career level and job target .

Doer vs Achiever 

From the way the CV is worded, you come across as a "doer," as opposed to an "achiever." Too many of your job descriptions are task-based rather than results-based. This means that they tell you what you did, instead of what you achieved. This is a normal mistake for non-professional CV writers. To be effective and create excitement a great CV helps the hiring executive envisage you delivering similar achievements at his or her company. Here are some examples of task-based sentences in your CV:

• “Saudi Arabia for Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Odoo Cloud ERP solutions”
• “Identify emerging markets and trends that could be valuable to the business, and understand the competitive landscape and market trends” 

Employers want to know about your previous contributions and specifically how you've made a difference. More importantly, they want to know how you are going to make a significant difference at their company.

When I read your CV, I did not find the kind of compelling language that would bring your work to life. Instead, I saw passive words and non-action verbs.

Assist With and Worked As

Phrases like “Assist with” and “Worked as” are overused, monotonous, and add little value to your CV. Strong action verbs, used with compelling language to outline exemplary achievements, are essential parts of a well-constructed CV.

Doing and Achieving

Now, let's put it all together. Here's a real life example taken from a former client's CV. By changing the language, we helped to improve the perception of the candidate.

• Passive language / Doing: “Negotiated contracts with vendors”
• Action language / Achieving: “Slashed payroll/benefits administration costs 30% by negotiating pricing and fees, while ensuring the continuation and enhancements of services.”

A change like this makes a dramatic improvement.