This document provides guidance on creating an effective curriculum vitae (CV) to help land a dream job. It recommends including key sections like work history, education, accomplishments quantified using the SOAR model (Situation, Obstacles, Actions, Results), skills identified from accomplishments, and a positioning statement. The CV should be concise, focus on recent relevant experience, use active language, and highlight quantifiable achievements to demonstrate value to employers in under 30 seconds. Formatting tips include using a simple consistent format on no more than two pages with no personal details like photos.

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How to Write An Impactful CV?
In this article you’ll read about the required elements for an impactful CV which will make you
land at your dream position you applied for. We’ll go through the creation process, show the
SOAR model and how to create your positioning statement and sum up the format
requirements preferred by recruiters, what to do and what not to do. Please note that
preferences of the CV format may vary based on personal taste and may be specific for certain
industries. What we try is to give you general recommendations which would be the fit for most
of the recruiters.
Your CV is often the first impression that a future employer has of you, unless they've already
reviewed your social media profile. Your CV presents an overview of what you've done in the
past and implies what you can do for that employer in the future. Its main job is to sell your
qualifications. You have to think of it as a sales pitch - and what it's selling is you. Your CV is
your main marketing document aiming to sell the owner – You!
It may sound shocking, but recruiters will decide in 5-7 seconds, if your CV worth reading at
all, let alone be shortlisted. So, first impact is crucial. An average of 250 CVs are received for
each job position, so obviously there’s a very short time available to make an impact.
Just remember that most employers will filter CVs until they've also checked you out online -
especially on LinkedIn. Surveys reveal that more than 90 percent of all employers use social
media to evaluate potential hires. Make sure your credentials on your CV match that of your
online profile. Make sure they're professional and create an outstanding image of you.
Creating an effective CV
You'll want to draw upon your Accomplishments and your Positioning Statement.
Your Accomplishments
Being confident in expressing and explaining your accomplishments/achievements is key both
in your CV and in interviews. Potential employers want to know what contributions you have
made in the past as these are an indication of what you're capable of doing for them in the
future. Don't take these things for granted - "I was only doing my job" is simply not enough –

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but also don't assume an accomplishment has to be earth shattering to really matter. In the
context of the type of work that you do, you're showing that you made a difference and that
you can do so again. They are hard evidence and back up any statements you might make in
your summary/profile about the skills and qualities you possess. Recognizing these will not
only improve a potential employer's confidence in you and give you a competitive edge, it will
improve your self-confidence, too.
An excellent technique, called SOAR, is useful in developing accomplishment stories that
showcase your skills.
In an interview, your SOAR answer provides specific information on the Situation, Obstacles,
Actions and Results.
On your CV, it provides a quick insight into your capabilities. The SOAR acronym is easy to
remember and will help you organize material for interview situations. Here's how it works:
Situation: Describe the situation, the problem, challenge, project or obstacle you were faced
with
Obstacles: Describe the obstacles you faced
Actions: List the actions you took
Results: Describe the results you helped obtain and the benefits to your employer
You will use the entire SOAR story when you're on interviews. You'll use the A-R portion (the
Actions and Results elements) when you create your CV. They will be the basis for the
Summary on your CV.
Using the SOAR technique, develop 10 to 20 of your own using the SOAR template. But
practice speaking them so that it becomes second nature to confidently present them. You'll
use them in interviews to demonstrate your track record of results and accomplishments, but
framing them convincingly in the context of the situation and obstacles you faced. For an
example of how you complete your SOAR click here

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Identifying accomplishments
These questions are designed to help you identify your accomplishments at work. Review the
questions and note the ones that apply to you. They're not intended to cover every eventuality
and you're likely to have other, different examples depending on the type of jobs you have
done. For each item that applies to you, specify a key word that will remind you of the
accomplishment. Each accomplishment is an indicator of one or more skills in action. Later
you can name these skills. Also remember that, while most of these statements are probably
going to be work based, it's quite acceptable to use some non-work examples if they
demonstrate relevant skills required for the position. For example, you may never have held a
management position but may have extensive management experience through a voluntary
activity. You'll use accomplishments to communicate your value in your CV and when
interviewing.
• Did you identify a problem and solve it? What were the results?
• Did you introduce a new system or procedure that made work easier or more accurate?
• Did you save the company money or time? How much? What positive impact did the
savings have on the company?
• Did your efforts increase the company’s profit line? By how much?
• Did you increase productivity or reduce downtime? By how much? How did the savings
affect the bottom line?
• Did you effectively manage systems or people? What were the results of your efforts?
• Did you initiate a sales or incentive program that worked? What were the results in
monetary terms? On company image? On morale?
• Did you participate in decision making or planning? What contributions did you make
to the team? What were the results of your efforts?
• Did you write any major reports, programs publications, promotions or
newsletters? What was the intended audience? What was the distribution or
readership?
• Did you improve the efficiency of people or operations? What were the savings?
• Were you responsible for reducing staff or trimming an operation? How were you able
to do this efficiently? How did you do this with sensitivity?
• Were you involved in a start-up or shutdown? What were the challenges you faced?
• Did you automate or create systems or procedures? How many people did you train?
How much money was involved in the automation?

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• Were you a liaison between departments? How were you able to make things run more
efficiently?
• Did you produce reports or data that enabled management to make more informed
decisions?
How accomplishments identify skills
In today’s job market, it's important to know your skills and be able to find positions that require
those skills. You might want (or need) to transfer your skills into other functional areas or
industries. Knowing your skills will help you to identify potential markets and communicate your
value to a potential employer.
Skills identified through accomplishments
When you're successful, it's usually because you're applying your skills and because your
personal traits are assets for the task at hand. An analysis of your achievements,
accomplishments and successes, therefore, can lead to a clear definition of these skills and
traits. This analysis enables you to identify recurring patterns or themes.
Your Positioning Statement
Your positioning statement is used in conversations throughout your search. You’ll use it in
networking meetings, emails, phone calls, and of course, on interviews. It is the response to:
"Tell me about yourself."
Your Positioning Statement contains these four basic elements:
1. Profession: State your professional identity in the present tense. “I am a marketing
executive.”
2. Expertise: State the competencies and skills that qualify you for that kind of work.
3. Types of Organizations: Summarize the environments or organizations in which you
have worked, such as “Fortune 100 company,” “small consulting firm,” “not-for-profit
organization.” You might also mention other types of activities, such as teaching,
participation on boards, or other leadership roles.

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4. Unique Strengths: Articulate the qualities that help you stand out from others in your
field, such as exceptional problem solving skills, unique technical knowledge, or
specialties.
An example of a good positioning statement is: "I am an information systems specialist
focusing on the application of technology to business functions in the area of marketing, sales,
manufacturing, logistics and accounting. I have worked with a Fortune 500 firm as well as a
small entrepreneurial business. I am now serving as an adjunct professor at Eastend
University. My strengths include data administration, strategic planning, data warehousing, and
relational database design, development and implementation."
Now you craft a brief statement that conveys your professional objective, key qualifications,
and uniqueness for use in conversations. Practice it aloud, so that you can call it up whenever
you want to.
Essential parts of a CV
• Heading: Name, address, telephone number(s) and email address.
• Professional Objective OR Summary: If you're just entering the job market, include
your professional objective - a concise statement of what you want to do. If you've been
in the workforce substitute your summary - a concise statement of your qualifications
and experience.
• Education: Summarize your educational background. Name and location of university
attended, main subject and any other areas of study.
• Employment history: Company name, length of employment and job titles should be
included. This section might include volunteer and internships etc.
• Accomplishment Statements: These statements show your achievements and
contributions to an organization. Keep in mind how your profession measures
performance.
• Professional Development and Training: List the skills you have acquired, e.g.
Excel; if you speak a foreign language; areas you have received additional training in
e.g. for nursing you might include CPR training.
• Memberships: Include membership and offices held in professional associations,
boards and community activities that support your professional career objective.
• Other categories: These could include honours and activities relevant to your
objective, projects and publications you have worked on or military experience.

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What does an effective CV look like?
• Your CV should support your professional career objective.
• Keep your target market in mind. As you look at your CV, be able to answer the
question, "Would I interview this person?"
• If you're just entering the job market, your CV should be one page. If you have a longer
work history then your CV should fit on no more than two pages.
Do the following:
• If you have a professional website highlighting your work, include the address. You also
may want to include the link to your LinkedIn profile.
• Describe specific responsibilities and highlight accomplishments.
• Support all accomplishments with specific results. Try to quantify and qualify your
accomplishments wherever possible.
• Draw attention to what they market is buying.
• Check spelling and grammar.
• Type and proofread the final copy.
• Use the space on the paper.
• Use active words.
Do not do the following:
• Don't include salary history or salary requirements. You want to delay revealing your
salary as long as possible. This will limit your ability to negotiate later.
• Don't include anything that will raise doubts about your skills and/or cause you to be
screened out.
• Don't list references. Reserve them for the interview.
• Don't leave any gaps between employment dates
• Don't include personal information such as age, marital status, or number of children.
• Don't exaggerate or misrepresent yourself.
• Don't include a snapshot of yourself. Surveys say that 88% of job applications are
rejected due to photo on your CV.

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Style
• Avoid using "I" statements.
• For current or most recent jobs use the present tense. All previous jobs and all
accomplishment statements should be in the past tense.
• Write out all numbers up to and including nine. Use numerals for 10 to 999.999.
• Use a direct and active writing style. Use short phrases and keep paragraphs under six
lines.
• Use key words that are appropriate for the job you are seeking.
• Do not use abbreviations.
• Use capital letters, dashes, underlining or bullets to emphasis certain items.
Format and layout
• Keep your CV to one or two pages.
• Include your name, phone number and a page number on the second page.
• If your CV is two pages, make sure all key selling points appear on the first page.
• Make sure the CV is easy to read and scan. Make it visually appealing.
• Don’t use odd-sized paper or overly fancy stock, colour, style, or font.
• Don’t use decals or fancy artwork.
• Pick a format and stick with it.
• Have headings and initial phrases that support your main message.
• Devote more space to recent job and work experiences.
If you want to work on your CV supported by personal coaching services, do not hesitate to
contact me and check my website and contact me for a free career clarity call.