Jen David 
When the future is uncertain, be prepared for anything
The UK has officially fallen into a recession which is predicted to last for up to two years. With businesses forced to close and consumers spending less, this economic downturn has come as no surprise. That doesn't negate its significance, however. The number of unemployed workers ‒ which rose to hundreds of thousands during lockdown ‒ is only expected to grow.
So what does that mean for you?
If you have concerns about the status of your job ‒ or if you have already been made redundant ‒ your first step should be to recession-proof your CV so that you're ready to apply for positions in this challenging economic environment. The jobs market is becoming even more competitive. Luckily, we have some tips on building a strong CV which will help you to set yourself apart from other applicants and survive the economic downturn.
Focus on your achievements
A well-written CV is much more than a dry list of responsibilities. It's absolutely vital to include what you've achieved in every role. This will show a potential employer not just what you did, but how well you did it. It makes it easy for them to understand how you've added value in previous jobs and therefore to predict the impact you're likely to have on their company. Explain precisely how you increased revenue, improved efficiency, resolved an ongoing problem or – most importantly during a downturn – saved money. Which brings us to:
Quantify your successes
Saying that you achieved something is all well and good, but proving it is even better. Putting concrete figures against your claims shows that you understand the impact you had on the wider business and instantly makes the claims more credible. To truly recession-proof your CV, quantify your success in cold, hard pounds – for example: reduced production costs by £25,000 per year or increased profitability by £10,000 per month. If you managed a budget, you should also state the size of your budget.
Demonstrate your hard skills
During an economic downturn, companies need to recruit staff who can hit the ground running. Time and money spent training a new recruit could be invested more profitably elsewhere in the business, so show that you have the hard skills necessary to make an impact from day one. Ensure that your CV captures all the requirements of the job advert, as well as keywords relating to your particular role or industry. Time spent researching similar roles on job boards or LinkedIn can pay dividends here. If you can show that you have the right industry knowledge and professional skills, you've already ticked some of the most important boxes.
Keep it concise
As we've mentioned, HR managers will likely have a lot of CVs to wade through. Rather than presenting them with pages of long, waffly paragraphs, use bullet points and aim to keep them to a maximum of two lines each. This will force you to write concisely and focus on the key points you need to convey, whilst making it easy for an HR manager to scan. As a general rule, two pages is long enough for most CVs. If you find yourself writing more than this, you need to be more ruthless in cutting out unnecessary words and focusing on what really matters.
Stand out
Standing out doesn't mean writing your CV in a pink font and inserting graphics at every opportunity (please don't do that!) but rather giving the reader a break from the same old phrases. Enthusiastic team player with good communication skills? Bye-bye. Writing a CV that looks like you've swallowed the dictionary of CV vocabulary won't impress anyone, and it's neither creative nor setting you apart from any of the other candidates.
Don't generalise
Concentrate on what you do best, what makes you different, and what your unique selling point is. If you have a few different types of jobs in mind, tailor your CV to fit each potential role you apply for rather than trying to capture everything in one document. Otherwise, you'll look like a Jack of all trades and master of none; recruiters will struggle to see your area of expertise and you'll come across as rather unfocused.
Echo the advert or company website
Use the same vocabulary that you see in the job advert and on the company website. That's not to say you should copy and paste whole chunks of text verbatim, but if they're looking for someone with experience in hotels and restaurants, then make sure you include those two words – don't just say you have experience in hospitality. The same goes for the company ethos or values – try to include examples of when you've exhibited those behaviours and echo the language as far as is appropriate. When competition is high, you can give yourself an advantage by showing how you will fit into the company and align with their precise requirements.
Stay positive
As the economy faces a downturn, following these steps will help you to prepare a strong CV that assures your next career move and positions you head-and-shoulders above other candidates. Good luck in your job search!
No matter the state of the economy, the state of your CV should always be strong. Submit yours for a free CV review and we'll tell you if your CV is recession-ready.