3 key takeaways from our CV Health Check guide

Whether you’re a seasoned global development professional or just transitioning to the sector, you can find targeted advice covering the key aspects of what makes a development CV stand out through our recently published CV Health Check guide. The guide reveals countless tips for optimizing every detail of your CV, such as tailoring it to the job opportunity and using keywords to bolster your online candidate profile. Career Account members can download the complete guide to learn more, but to give you a taste, here are three key bits of advice inside: Tailor your CV to the position One of the most common mistakes you can make as a global development job candidate is failing to align your CV with the position you are applying for. Prasun Chakraborty, UN Women’s head of human resources, told Devex that a recruiter can recognize when a candidate has put in extra effort and time. “[The candidate] has to make a compelling case and not have one standard CV for everything they apply [to],” he said. “Then you actually see that this person is really interested, is motivated.” Include relevant keywords Pressed for time, recruiters look for keywords that quickly convey a candidate’s expertise in a specific area. Keywords are also critical in cases where CVs are first vetted by automated systems. “When a recruiter is first scanning a CV, one of the things they are scanning for are keywords that pop out to them to show that you generally have the experience they are looking for before actually spending time going into more detail into your work experience,” said Kate Warren, executive vice president and executive editor at Devex. Consider CV templates How you construct your CV will depend on your experience level and the type of work you are targeting. Our recruiter-ready templates include added guidance on how to maximize your list of skills. + Join us Aug. 2: Devex is hosting a digital event on how to upgrade your CV — featuring insights from Kathryn Harper, an expert in professional development writing — that will help bolster your chances of landing your next role in global development.