There aren’t many people out there who get excited about updating their CVs. Among the stresses of looking for a new position, revising your CV ranks high. One of the best ways of overcoming CV anxiety is to review your resume monthly. By the second week of every month, you should have a new version of your CV updated and saved on both your PC and smartphone.

This strategy offers dual benefits–first, you become a pro at updating your resume. And you’re always ready with a current, accurate CV when an unexpected opportunity arises. Advancing your career, seizing new opportunities, and pivoting to a brand new field rely heavily on having a great CV.

Your career can stall because you’re sending out a stale CV that doesn’t reflect your recent experiences, opportunities, and responsibilities. Working with a CV consultant alleviates the stress you feel working on your CV while building a lifelong habit of revising your resume every month.

A current CV lets you seize opportunities

When you encounter an opportunity––whether for networking, a new position, or a potential partnership––the most effective CV is the one that’s delivered in the moment. Many people haven’t looked at their CV since the last time they job hunted: most haven’t updated it within the previous year. When someone asks for your CV, and you take a week to revise and send it, you’ve lost the opportunity to impress that individual.

Instead, share a current CV that you have saved as a PDF on your phone instantly. That responsiveness communicates not only the pertinent details of your work history but that you’re proactive and engaged with your career.

Have a compelling narrative

You could be one of 150 people applying for a job, so you need to stand out from the crowd. An interesting CV lets you do that. Your resume should share a narrative of who you are, not just be a word-for-word copy from your job description. Share details that highlight your contributions to your current company’s success:

• Who do you report to?
• What are you responsible for? What are your key projects?
• What are you managing? Budgets? Issues?
• Who do you have access to within your company?

Using active verbs that articulate your value makes it clear how you can benefit the company where you’re applying.

When you head into an interview series, you want people in the room to be excited about your candidacy and the value you’ll bring to the position. When you’re one of a hundred applicants, a compelling narrative can lift your CV to the top of the pile.

Your resume represents you until your interview

Highlighting the best aspects of your personality in a CV is a challenge. It’s critical to connect with the hiring committee before you ever meet them, so they’ll be on your side through the interview. Fitting in with the corporate culture and leadership team is as important as your experience and skills.

While the narrative is the backbone of a strong CV, the details should give the hiring committee or HR a complete picture of who you are as a person. Beyond job responsibilities, use language and details that humanize your candidacy.

Your CV is just one component of your job hunt

The first thing any of us do when we meet someone new is an internet search on their name. You want to ensure that your name and social media feeds are top results for your name. That may mean establishing yourself under an uncommon name, such as a first initial and middle name, but it also means staying active online.

Make sure your LinkedIn posts support the messaging of your CV and portray your leadership style and skills. Look for opportunities to write thought pieces for online publications or even make regular blog posts on your website about your industry.

Your CV should entice HR or leadership to dig a little deeper into you as a candidate. You want to make sure that there’s plenty of material for them to find that supports you as the ideal candidate for the job.

Working with a CV consultant with Nineteen88 Strategies can help you advance in your chosen field.

Nineteen88 Strategies can help you build a sound foundation for job searching and recruitment opportunities when you’re ready to advance or pivot your career. We’re consultants who specialize in maximizing potential–whether for corporations, start-ups, or executives and job seekers. Nineteen88 Strategies partners with our clients to help them actualize the future they’ve always wanted.

If you’re ready to meet your potential, work with our CV consultant and leadership coach. They’ll help you portray yourself as a decisive, skilled, and experienced leader to your current and future companies. Whether you’re interested in advancement, a lateral move, or pivoting to a new field, our CV consultant can help.