Bouncing Back from Redundancy How to make your CV and LinkedIn

1. How to make your CV & LinkedIn
profile stand out from the crowd
Joshua Rayner, CEO of Rayner Personnel

2. Writing a CV fit for 2021
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3. 3
Your CV
Updating your CV or writing one from scratch
can seem like a daunting and time-
consuming task
Your CV is your gateway to getting that all-
important job interview and ultimately,
landing that job
Take your time, follow this simple guide and
avoid those easily avoidable pitfalls
CV

4. 4
1. Choose the
right format
Your CV is your first impression with an
employer or recruiter, so make a great first
impression
Ask yourself:
• Does it look disorganised or
cluttered?
• Is it too short or too long?
• Does it scream out “Read me!”?
• Does it truly reflect what I’m
capable of?
Format
Length: Keep it brief and concise
Font Choice : Professionals use Arial, Calibri,
or Times New Roman
Font Size : Use10 to 12, headings should be
larger and bolded
Chronological Layout: Use a logical
chronological order (last job first), sufficient
spacing and clear headings
Attention To Detail: Double-check your
grammar and spelling thoroughly
Top Tips

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2. What contact
information to
include
Its not unheard of for people to forget this,
so:
• Always include your name,
mobile or phone number, a
suitable email address, and your
home address
• Consider adding professional
social media profiles that are
applicable to the position, such
as a well curated ‘all-star’
LinkedIn profile
Top Tips
Be Professional: Don’t use an email
address, like skaterdude86@hotmail.co.uk
Email address: If you don’t have one
already, create a separate email address
for professional
Personal Information: Avoid adding your
marital status, nationality or religious faith
Photography: Include a headshot of
yourself
Contact

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3. Personal
Statement
A study revealed that on average
employers spend just under 9 seconds
looking at your CV.
So its important to use your Personal
Statement (alternatively referred to as a
Profile or Summary) to give the prospect
employer a reason to read on.
In one or two sentences
summarise;
• who you are
• your work experience
• your relevant skills
• why you’re suitable for the
position
You

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4. Adding your key
skills
Your Skills section shows your strengths
and individuality. Start by stating each of
your key skills as a bullet points,
demonstrating the most relevant to the
role you are applying for
Back this up with a short account of how
you learned that skill or why you believe
you have it
Make these entries short and concise, no
more than three-lines of clear straight to
the point text
Add value by including items like software
names you have proficiency in or
accreditations & affiliated memberships
Skills

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5. Your employment
history
Your History shows where and when
you’ve worked. Start from your last role
and include;
• Job title
• name of employer
• time in role
• key responsibilities
• specific accomplishments
Show what you’ve achieved and the key
skills you’ve developed
Job titles indicate roughly what you did but
tell little about your achievements
Top Tips
Employment Gaps: Don’t leave gaps in
your employment history, include what you
were doing throughout your work history
Achievements: Substantiate using facts
such as;
“Led a sales team that resulted in
increased sales of £650k p.a. and the
company exceeding its annual sales
targets by 32%”
History

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6. Education &
Additional
information
Starting with the most recent first, list your
Educational achievements including;
• schools attended
• dates of study
• type of qualification
• grades achieved
Additional Information should include
any additional items that may be relevant
to your application and help you to stand
out such as;
• hobbies
• out of work interests
Top Tips
Education: Include other relevant
vocational qualifications
Hobbies: Including relevant hobbies could
back up your skills – not to mention give
you something to talk about at an interview
Saving Your CV: Save your CV as a PDF
document if you intend to email it
Attention To Detail: Carefully check it
Print Your CV: Take a high quality printed
copy of your CV when attending an
interview
Educatio
n

10. Writing a CV fit for 2021
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LinkedIn, Your online CV

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10 Profile features
The top 20 profile features you should
check and update for 2021
Some of these top tips are very quick
wins, some take a little longer, but any one
of them could make all the difference for
you and your career
Use LinkedIn to create your
personal brand and positively
impact on how the outside world
views you as a professional

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1. Choose the right
profile picture
Your profile picture is your calling card on
LinkedIn, it’s your first impression online
There are some great posts explaining
how to pick the right profile picture for
LinkedIn, here're some quick tips to get
you started;
• make sure the picture is recent
and looks like you
• your face should takes up
around 60% of the image
• wear what you would like to wear
to work
Most importantly, smile with your
eyes!
Image

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2. Give depth, add
a background
Background images are the second
strongest visual element. Backgrounds
grab attention, sets the context and show
a little more about what matters to you
The right background image helps you;
• stand out
• engage attention
• stay memorable
3. Your headline is
more than a job
titleThere’s no rule that says the description at
the top of your profile page has to be just
a job title. Use the Headline field to;
• say more about how you see
your role
• tell why you do what you do
• show what makes you tick
• be inspirational
Background
s
&
Headlines

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4. Your summary
is your story
First things first, make sure you have a
LinkedIn Summary!
Your summary tells your story, it’s not just
a list your skills or the job titles you’ve had
Bring to life why those skills matter and
the difference they make to the people you
work with
Invest time, try a few drafts, and run your
summary past people you know.
This is your most personal piece of
content marketing and the now
effort will pay dividends
5. Buzz words, just
don’t!
Buzzwords are so often in LinkedIn
headlines and summaries that they verge
on meaningless
The most over-used buzzwords include
terms like ‘specialised’, ‘leadership’,
‘focused’, ‘strategic’, ‘experienced’,
‘passionate’, ‘expert’, ‘creative’,
‘innovative’ and ‘certified’
Using these words won’t convince people
that you have these qualities, you need to
demonstrate it
Do this by the way you describe
yourself and in the way you use
LinkedIn profile features
Summary
&
Buzz words

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6. Build your
network
Quick win to grow your LinkedIn Network;
• synch your profile with your
email address book
• LinkedIn will suggest people for
you to connect with
• no connections are made
without your permission
• you can vet all potential
connection
Beyond this, get into the habit of;
• Follow up every meeting and
conversation with a LinkedIn
connection request
7. List your
relevant skills
One of LinkedIn’s quickest of quick wins,
simply scroll through the list of Skills and
identify those that are relevant to you.
Doing so helps to;
• substantiate the description in
your Headline and Summary
• provides a platform for others to
endorse you
Stay relevant; a long list of skills
that aren’t really core to who you
are and what you do is not a good
thing
Network
&
Skills

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8. Spotlight your
services
Services is a new LinkedIn feature that
helps;
• consultants
• freelancers
• individuals working for smaller
businesses
It showcase the range of services that
they offer
Filling out the Services section of
your profile boosts your visibility
in search results
9. Request
recommendations
Endorsements give people viewing your
profile a quick, visual sense of what you’re
valued for
Recommendations take things a step
further. They are personal testimonials
written to illustrate the experience of
working with you.
Ask for Recommendations by using the
drop-down section within your profile
Think about who you would most
value a recommendation from and
personalise your request
Services
&
Recommendatio
ns

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10. Add Comments
Adding Comments to your shares gives
you greater prominence within the feed
Well-expressed comments also enable
you to share a broader range of content
The more you share and comment on
content, the more you establish your
expertise and thought-leadership
credentials
Comments that express a viewpoint are
more likely to draw additional comments,
which in turn raises your profile
Bear this mind when you’re writing
your comment – and make sure
you’re saying something you’re
happy for people to associate with
you
Comments
Publishing long-form posts is the natural
next step to take
Start by monitoring the response you get
to your comments and shares. Are there
particular subjects and points of view that
seem to resonate with your network?
Are there comments that you have shared
which you feel you could expand on in a
post?
Evolving your thought-leadership
in this way keeps it real and keeps
you plugged into the issues your
connections are talking about

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Make LinkedIn
work for you
The rewards will far outweigh the time
spent in making your LinkedIn profile
work harder for you
Work through these tips, build from one to
another, set aside a few minutes each day
and you’ll soon find you’re making quick
progress
LinkedIn enables you to create
your personal brand and positively
impact on how the outside world
views you as a professional
Make 2021 the year it happens!
Comments