Your CV can be considered your autobiography, documenting your previous roles, qualifications, skills and even your interests – but are you missing a key element to help you stand out amongst the crowd?

There’s probably nothing wrong with your current CV. It has your professional and educational history in just the right amount of detail, all your skills and even what you’re interested in. Fine, right?

Wrong.

There’s a key element missing from your CV – you.

The humble CV can be two things; a straight up, no-nonsense account of your professional history (Curriculum Vitae translates as Course of Life after all), or an account of you.

What do we mean by that? Well, most CV’s are the same. Sure, the info is different, but the language and layout is generally the same no matter the job.

“I am a conscientious worker who works well as an individual or as part of a team”

“In this role, I had a wide variety of responsibilities including…”

“I enjoy socialising with friends and spending time with my family”

All of these are perfectly legitimate things to put in your resume. That’s why everybody does it. So what can you do to stand out?

Be yourself.

That’s what’s missing from your resume – your personality.

No employer wants to hire a robot to join their team – Cyberdyne Systems isn’t a real company. They want to know what you can do, where you’ve done it and who you are as a person.

Who you are is so much more than where you’ve worked, so take another look at your CV and ask yourself; “Does this show the real me?”.

The best way to stand out when applying for jobs is to have a CV that’s uniquely formatted and with an interesting, creative use of language. That means no stock phrases!

Just remember that your CV is what gets you to the interview table, where an employer will evaluate if your personality will fit in with their team. A CV that fully showcases you will give you an advantage over Johnny Stockphrases.

Good luck!