Procurement and supply chain management are great sectors to be in at the moment, with the sectors’ job markets standing firmly in the candidate’s favour. Demand from professionals in procurement is on the rise, as are the salaries and benefits available to those with the right skills and qualifications.
So with demand for procurement professionals increasing and many flocking to the sector, it’s more important than ever to show your worth and stand out above the wash of other aspiring procurement professionals.
Here’s our top CV writing tips that will stand out in procurement:
Tailor Your CV To The Role You Are Going For
When applying for several roles in an attempt to get a foot on the ladder, it’s easy to just create one well-written CV that generalises your skills and achievements, then just send it out to everyone.
This may be an easier option, but it is far from the best option. An employer will be able to spot a ‘general’ CV from a mile away; it’s seen as a lazy method and will make a bad first impression.
One of our top CV writing tips is to use your general CV as a template that you can work from. Then do your research on the role you are applying for as well as the company who is advertising the position.
Only include any skills, work experience and qualifications that will demonstrate that you are an ideal candidate for the position; everything else is irrelevant to this employer. Expand on how each of those would equip you for the current position, for example, any responsibilities in a previous position that reflects in the new position or any particular skills/knowledge you gained from your CIPS qualification. It’s also good to try and incorporate some of the company’s objectives and the role’s specifications in your personal statement and other areas of your CV.
It may be a time-consuming task, but tailoring your CV to what the employer is asking for in the advertised role will instantly get your CV noticed.
Focus On The Layout
When a position is advertised, the procurement employer will receive hundreds of applications. It just isn’t feasible to think that the hiring managers can sit and read every CV word for word; instead, they will scan the document for eye-catching factors.
For this reason, the layout is crucial to getting your CV that important second glance. The information should be clearly set out and any important facts should be eye-catching and easy to consume.
As a general rule, unless the information is vital to the position, you should aim to cut the CV down to one A4 page (that’s not a lot we know!). If you can’t cut it down that far, then summarise any key facts high up in the document and point out that you will go into further detail later on.
Ask For Expert Opinions
One of our other top CV writing tips is asking someone else to look over your CV for you as it is vital to spotting errors. A fresh set of eyes will be able to spot any spelling and grammatical errors as well as sentences that don’t flow or statements that could be worded better.
Your friends, family and colleagues may be able to help you to an extent, but when it comes to being able to give constructive advice from the point of view of a procurement employer, an expert is needed.
Recruitment consultants are always happy to help by checking your CV and offering advice on how to improve it to help you get the job. However, if the job you are applying for is not advertised through a recruitment agency, you may not have this advantage.
If you would like to find out about how CIPS qualifications can help advance your own career, get in touch with us today by emailing enquiries@oxfordpeg.com and our friendly staff will get back to you as soon as possible.
