Keywords every temp should have on their CV
From time to time, actions speak louder than words. Unfortunately, not when it comes to your CV.
Think, the aim of your CV is to get you an interview, not to tell your whole life story. Whatever you write it will need to highlight your abilities if you want to get a foot in the door.
If you do struggle with what you should and shouldn’t include in your CV, here are some tips to help you!
Things you should avoid in your CV
Long passive phases
Do not put the reader to sleep. Make sure to write your CV in the present tense, get to the point, and include action words.
Unrealistic accomplishments
You need to be realistic with your skill set, nobody is an expert in everything. Remember if you do exaggerate on your skills and experience, you’ll only have to explain it at the interview stage.
Excessively technical information and jargon
You will need to Include what you know but don’t be too demanding in your language. Your CV is a sales document, not a training guide to build a rocket.
Personal unrelated activities
You will have no idea how the other person reviewing your application will react to your own hobbies, so it’s best to try and leave them off unless they’re relevant to the role. No hobbies at all is better than ‘socialising with friends.
What not to do on your CV
Should I include my hobbies and interests in my CV? This question gets asked a lot, there are some words you shouldn’t use in your CV. In terms of the actual words you write, almost most recruiters have their own pet peeves.
Here are a few common CV phrasing fails:
- Flexible
- Motivated
- Strong work ethic
- Multi-tasker
- Self-determining
- Detail oriented
- Energetic
These words that fall into this list are CV clichés that have been around so long that they no longer carry any real meaning anymore.
Clearly, if one of these words is a key element for the role you’re applying for, then they can be used.
However, always make them more meaningful by expanding on the idea and using real scenarios to put it into practice.
Five lines that are killing your CV
It almost goes without saying that you should always be as positive as possible when relating to yourself.
But some of the key words you could use include:
- Exact
- Adjustable
- Confident
- Thorough
- Innovative
- Positive
- Dependable
- Responsible
But again, it’s always important to make sure you back up your traits.
So, instead of just describing yourself, mention previous experience and tasks, as well as your accomplishments (for example, any areas or targets you hit).
Some practical descriptions you could use might be:
- Achieved
- Expressed
- Planned
- Generated
- Managed
- Represented
- Completed
- Executed
However, the most important thing is how you use these kinds of words.
Express strong statements that prove your skills and experiences in action, using different terms that show you’re positive and hands-on rather than flimsy.
How to use them
You could say:
Responsible for warehouse management and team meetings.
But you should say:
Used my knowledge of warehouse management on a new team of diverse warehouse workers to develop ongoing productivity and work in the warehouse.
Our final thoughts
Do you know what the biggest secret is for selling your CV? Use the job description.
The recruiter has already given you a list of all the skills they’re looking for in their perfect candidate. Please don’t ignore them, you will need to pick out some of the key attributes they’ve highlighted, and make sure you establish them on your application
If all else fails, there’s always CV templates!
