If an employer is going to invest in you as a candidate, they will expect you to make an impact in your role. So, when writing your CV, it’s important to show how your actions have benefited your previous employers.
Rather than simply listing your responsibilities throughout your CV, you should always endeavour to link them to the goals of your employer and highlight the benefits of hiring you. CV writing service StandOut CV have provided this useful infographic explaining 7 effective ways to prove your impact in your CV.
Costs saved
All organisations, whether they are private firms, non-profits or government departments, like to save money in order to help balance the books or increase profits. If you have the ability to cut company spending by smart fund allocation or shrewd supplier negotiation, then you will be instantly attractive to recruiters. If you have contributed to cost saving initiatives in previous roles, then highlight them on your CV and use numbers to quantify your value.
Problems solved
Most businesses exist to solve problems; retail stores provide affordable goods to people, and accountants relieve businesses of their financial administration. So it makes sense that employers like to hire candidates with strong problem solving abilities. No matter what your profession is, you should always be solving problems for clients, colleagues or stakeholders. When writing your CV’s role descriptions, give some examples of the problems you face, how you solve them and back it all up with cold hard facts and figures where possible.
Time saved
Time is our most precious resource and employers like to see it spent wisely in the workplace. If you are able to implement processes that save time for your employer or their customers, you should certainly highlight them in your CV. A candidate who can demonstrate solid examples of time saving initiatives that have resulted in extra resource availability will definitely be deemed as an attractive prospect.
People helped
Organisations rely on people supporting each other to achieve their goals. In any role you will likely be required to support a number of people, whether they be your colleagues or external individuals. Throughout your CV, show exactly where you fit into your employer’s hierarchy and which people are dependent on your work. If you can create the impression that you are heavily relied upon by others, then it will be clear to recruiters that you are a valuable candidate.
Revenue generated
Generating revenue is imperative for most organisations, especially those in the private sector. However it’s not just customer facing staff who are responsible for providing income; all staff can contribute to sales indirectly. For example marketing staff help to attract customers which eventually lead to sales, and business support staff help to alleviate fee earning staff from administration work so that they can focus on income generating tasks. So if you contribute to income generation in any way, work it into your CV and try to include some numbers to back up your points.
Awards and recognition
Awards and other recognition from your industry send strong trust signals to recruiters and hiring managers. Many candidates make bold claims in their CV, but not everyone backs them up with proof such as industry or peer recognition. From qualifications to media mentions, ensure you include any impressive accolades that you’ve accumulated through your career.
Work produced
The type of work you produce will differ greatly depending on your profession; it could be anything from web pages or spreadsheets, to physical products like cars or even houses. The work you produce is the output of your skills and effort and therefore is an excellent method of proving the impact you make in your role. Give indications of the quality of your work and how well it is received by stakeholders or customers to provide a more detailed picture.
