All We Do Is Win

Recruiters are looking for confident candidates who provide facts and figures to support their successes rather than vague generalisations.

For instance, it’s no good to casually mention you have a proven track record in generating business. What would really impress the recruiter is learning how much business you delivered and in what time frame.

Similarly, it’s best to steer clear of meaningless jargon, such as “hardworking”, “team player” and “pro-active” as every Tom, Dick and Harry that applies for a job has exactly those qualities, too. It’ll make the recruiter’s day if instead, you give hard evidence that illustrates why you are all those things – and more.

In short, if you can discipline yourself to make use of active, upbeat language in presenting your achievements you’re well on the way to beating the rest of the pack to an interview. Here are a few pointers…

Be positive – avoid using negative words

Selling yourself is one thing, using so many positive adjectives that your skills sound unbelievable is another. And always tailor your CV to be relevant to the job you’re applying for, mirroring the keywords used in the job advertisement.

Don't say	Do say
Hate/abandoned/avoided/argued/tried	Overcame/reorganised/accomplished/persuaded/delivered
Proven track-record at increasing profits	Generated an increase in profit of 20%
A database was created	Created a database
Exposed to/helped/participated in/etc	Activated/implemented/motivated/exceeded/etc
Responsible for managing the restaurant and generating turnover	Managed a 100-seat restaurant, generating £2,000 turnover a week
Even though I failed to meet my target, I learned about …	The experience taught me a lot about people management
Some of my managers have told me I have good customer-facing skills	I have good customer-facing skills, developed through…