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Optimize your CV: tips & tricks for freelance consultants

Written by FocusTribes | Jun 5, 2023 2:27:39 PM

Your CV is your essential professional identity card, enabling recruiters to identify you, assess the match between your profile and their needs, verify your success and distinguish you from other candidates. It also serves to highlight your skills in specific areas of expertise.

In this article, we would like to provide you with some essential solutions and practices for designing a great resume. Who better than our Talent Acquisition Lead to offer you these valuable tips to enhance your profile.

 

Discover the six Focustribes Tips presented by Manon Dragonne.

 

 

M.D. : « Make sure you make your journey easily understable and do not hesitate to summarize it in a clear letter ».

 

To summarize your professional experience, you can indicate only the date and job title. This will give recruiters an overview of your career path. If you'd like to go into more detail about the assignments you've carried out, you can list them using hyphens (but be careful not to overdo it, to keep things concise).

 

M.D : « Select your most important experiences and if your CV exceeds five pages, do not hesitate to make a more synthetic CV or to add a summary page of your background ».

 

To ensure that recruiters read your CV smoothly and efficiently, it's essential to highlight the elements that match your profile and the needs of employers. Activities and experience that are not directly related to your career can be discussed during interviews, but should not appear on your CV. By doing so, you avoid saying too much and ensure a relevant and concise presentation.

 

M.D. : « Highlight your key skills. For example, with a box at the top of your CV. This will allow recruiters to quickly identify the information they need ».

 

To help the recruiter identify your level of expertise and the type of assignments you're capable of taking on, you can put a clear, precise job title at the beginning of your CV, describing your skills and areas of expertise. You can also mention your level of education and most recent diploma in a box. Don't hesitate to emphasize your technical and behavioral skills, as these are what set you apart.

 

Example: Human resources and organizational development consultant at X
This clearly indicates to the recruiter that you have training and expertise in the field of human resources, and that you play a key role in your current client's team organization strategy. They can also find out more about the company's business to get an idea of its market position, and therefore the importance of your role.

 

 M.D : « Separate visually your technical skills from your functional skills. This will improve the visibility of your CV for recruiters ».

 

Wondering what technical and functional skills are? Don't worry, we'll explain everything.


A technical skill represents your operational know-how and knowledge in a specific field (mastery of specific tools and software, web development, IS configuration), which is a guarantee of quality for recruiters. It's best to emphasize the technical skills you've acquired during your time with a company.

 

On the other hand, functional skills reflect your knowledge of business environments and operating modes (knowledge of finance or supply chain processes, Agile project methodology or IS use). They complement your technical skills.

 

If you can distinguish between them, it shows that you have identified them, and recruiters will perceive your ability to identify and analyze them.

 

M.D : « Use a clear and concise format that is easy to read and understand. Use precise headings and sub-headings ».

 

It's preferable to adopt a simple but clear CV format, highlighting the essential information, rather than a colorful CV that may be aesthetically pleasing but incomplete. The aim is to give a detailed account of your career path, to make it easier to understand. So, you should start by listing your profile in one line, followed by an outline of your career path, your training, your technical/functional skills, followed by your key experiences. By following this order of presentation, your information will be more relevant.


M.D : « Highlight your role, your tasks and your achievements. It can sometimes be interesting to contextualize your project with a little catchphrase ».

 

It's essential to clearly indicate the field in which you wish to operate. Why? Because this is the initial information the recruiter will read. Because this is the first piece of information the recruiter will read, enabling them to position themselves in relation to your profile and offer a position that matches your expectations.

 

Click on the link below to find a customizable template for a powerful CV, as well as a detailed guide to completing it:

 

To customize your own CV, click on the link below:

 

To go further :

- The reasons for the meteoric rise of freelancers.

- Leading a successful change with the ADKAR method

- Sustainability & Performance: 3 key ideas