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CV Template Advice

Article posted:
12. 09. 23

  • Principle format? – Written CV, portfolio, video, niche software etc - know your audience
  • Increasingly with the development of the digital market, and certainly within creative industries, there is a movement away from conventional Consider who you are presenting to and what are their expectations. Create something bespoke if this highlights your skills in a stronger way. In the future, Corporate functions will move further away from the traditional CV but it’s still the preferred format, and established process for now.
  • 3 pages is now accepted as the norm; more than this and you may be including detail from an early career that detracts from your current experiences.
  • Do consider that if you don’t grab attention on page 1 you may not have the opportunity for them to find the key aspects on pages 2 or 3.
  • Do consider LinkedIN as an extension of your If you introduce yourself via LinkedIN for a role, the reviewer will probably look at your LinkedIN profile for further background.

Impact

Personal details – name, email, contact number Personal profile – Show the passion you have for your profession, your areas of focus and interest. This is the readers first introduction to you; make it sound individual… four lines that summarise you professionally. Ask colleagues and network connections for phrases that summarise you.

Key Achievements 

  • These are not Key Skills but should incorporate the same Key skills are often presented just as words. These are largely meaningless unless they relate to specific technology, systems, or key words potentially essential in a specific role, beyond those that can naturally be assumed you will possess.
  • Key achievements should always be tailored for a specific role, and are key skills demonstrated through outcomes. They may be different for certain Consider your 6 most impactful achievements.
  • Key achievements will be drawn from beyond your current role and will allow you to highlight aspects from a previous role on the first page.
  • All must be measurable, detailed, but Numbers to highlight improvements, development, success etc should be included.
  • To help identify key achievements, consider what are those examples you would most often use during an interview, what qualities do they demonstrate.
Current role (final 1/3rd of page 1) – Company name, dates, role title
  • Brief description of role, reporting line, reports, budgetary responsibility etc; scale and context are relevant here (or that which is factually relevant to you and the role you are going for)
  • Build all responsibilities into achievements beyond this with a measurable outcome wherever possible; this role is likely to be the most relevant to the role you’re applying for, so go into detail.
  • Consider the range of competencies your achievements cover. Do these reflect your full range of competencies, are there other achievements that whilst not as significant do demonstrate the breadth of you and the role you undertook?

Detail 

  • Previous roles in chronological order, and detail, as per the current Do remember to move significant achievements into your key achievements on page 1
  • Gaps in dates? – include these; detail in one line what the period Some processes require full detail like this, and unexplained gaps could be interpreted as something being masked. Lots of great achievements can be drawn from during these periods, even if not from employment.
  • Consider the amount of detail to include, reducing from one role to the Early career summaries can be sufficient to support the early 20-25% of your career; note company, role, dates.

Validation

  • Potentially Early Career summary, if not on page 2
  • Education and professional qualifications – Make the judgement on which are most relevant to your role currently or your range of skills; some early qualifications are not necessary to include, or only briefly.
  • This will be more relevant and important for roles and careers that involve specific technology, systems or
Interests – A highlight for myself, but something that some consider draws people only to those similar to themselves.
  • A further opportunity to promote your informal side, a critical aspect in any recruitment Interests can and should be as far ranging as you feel relevant to yourself.
  • A favourite of mine - “I love great food, travel and all forms of sport, but with a young family this involves local take outs as I never go out, watching Michael Palin re runs and Ski Sunday as we get ready for bath time”
  • NB: Spending time with your family is a duty, not a hobby!!!

Other considerations & tips

  • Cover Letter for applications? – An introduction is important, and it is an opportunity to begin to focus your experience on the role, however it is more advisable to tailor the CV to a role than to send a generic CV with a personalised cover note as the 2 documents may not be presented together.
  • ‘Blank piece of paper’ – what am I good at, what competencies does this show, when did I achieve them?
  • What words have people used to describe me, or shared in feedback – why?
  • Tailor and evolve your CV continuously, yes, but feel comfortable reducing detail as you gain more experience. I often speak about my life in Canada, but the work I did there is no longer relevant!!!
  • Seek feedback from trusted colleagues and friends that know you
  • I haven’t referenced whether to include a photo or not, this is not for me to say and is probably more contentious than any other cv feedback I have gauged in 22 There is no right or wrong, some people want to include this, other don’t – you decide.
  • Recognise these are only one set of ideas and options, Google will suggest many more, none are wrong, just remember: know your audience!!
 

Written by:

Paul Bryan

Artis Procurement, Purchasing and Supply Chain & Artis Customer Contact are the established experts in resourcing for mid-senior level Procurement and Customer Contact leadership roles.

TEL: 07792072090
EMAIL: Paul.bryan@artisrecruitment.co.uk

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Success! – Senior Procurement Interim

Article posted:
10th February 2023

Artis Procurement Case Studies

Lead Procurement Specialist, £700/day, Rail industry

The problem

Some organisations are complex; multiple operating entities, complicated reporting lines, challenging cultures, numerous change programmes all in flight simultaneously etc. On this occasion our client had the lot(!), and that meant some real challenges for their resourcing team in finding people with the right levels of experience, resilience, pragmatism and stakeholder management skills. Specifically, the requirement here was for an expert to manage some high-level contract negotiations and devise a new procurement framework… which was where we came in.

What we did

The senior interim space is a fascinating place in which to operate; as a trusted recruitment partner to many mid-to-large corporates our network of interim leaders is both broad and deep, and it’s something we’ve built up over time. When we took this particular brief the lightbulb came on quickly and a handful of names came to mind; great people with the perfect balance of expertise and gravitas to manage anything thrown at them. The depth of market knowledge our consultants have means they can have meaningful conversations with both candidate and client…plus then have the judgement ability to make the right recommendations.

Success!

We presented a handful of outstanding candidates to our client within a week, and interviews were arranged quickly. An offer was made to a fantastic career interim… safe hands indeed…
OUR CLIENT SAID: “This role required a strong candidate with a very credible style to help us manage a difficult situation. Sam came up with an excellent shortlist… which was exactly what we were hoping for.” Resourcing Manager, Rail industry THE CANDIDATE SAID: “I’ve worked within the rail industry for some time and was intrigued by this role when I was first approached by Artis. Sam knew his onions and painted a picture of a challenging environment and tough assignment… just the sort of thing I like.” Interim Procurement Lead, Rail industry

Written by:

Paul Bryan

Artis Procurement, Purchasing and Supply Chain & Artis Customer Contact are the established experts in resourcing for mid-senior level Procurement and Customer Contact leadership roles.

TEL: 07792072090
EMAIL: Paul.bryan@artisrecruitment.co.uk

Connect on LinkedIn

Career resources & hiring guides.

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Career Advice

Article posted:
20th December 2022

As recruitment experts we’re here to help both candidate and client. Sometimes that help can just be a bit of advice, guidance or insight into the market. At other times you might want something a little more thorough or bespoke. We’ve noted some areas of career advice here, but feel free to get in touch for a confidential chat about your specific circumstances; we’d be happy to help.

1 - Do your research

Looking for a new role can be a full time job in itself. Part of this is because you really do need to do your groundwork on each organisation that you apply to. Think about what sort of business issues they will be going through, what sort of plans and goals they have and what kinds of risks they will be facing. Read widely and consider what is happening in the sector, or what their competitors may be up to. Try to understand how the organisation works, what it’s culture and ethos is – an inside track can be very useful! If what you learn makes you feel it’s exactly the sort of place you really want to be, take time to ensure you bring out your most relevant achievements and most appropriate skills on your CV / application and throughout the recruitment process. Make it clear how what you’ve done and who you are as a person make you just right for them and their needs. Good research and a little reflection will help make sure you present yourself in the most attractive light.

2 - Highlight your achievements, not your responsibilities

Taking that next step on the career ladder requires you to sell yourself a little. Whilst it’s ever so easy to prepare a CV based around what you do on a daily basis, most employers are more interested in what you’ve achieved in your role. For example, if you work in Content Marketing, you might want to highlight the impact & coverage your work produced. If you run a Marketing team, you might want to stress the impact of the way you’ve managed your team on the commercial returns. If you're responsible for creative campaigns, focus on the deliverables and the commercial / reputational benefit they have brought. Concentrating on your achievements like this will help differentiate your CV, showcase your relevant successes… and help ensure you get to interview.

3 - First impressions

Your CV is a means to an end; it’s at interview where you’re most able to differentiate yourself. Having done your research on the business and the people, take time to build rapport with your interviewer. Hopefully they’ll be taking time to build rapport with you, too! Like any new relationship, the one with your potential boss is built on first impressions. Whilst you may be confident about your abilities, keen to put across why you’re a great hire, or eager to jump in with some probing questions of your own, don’t forget to put in the groundwork with your interviewer to try to understand them as a person first. Demonstrate too that you have done your research on the business – beyond a scan of their website’s homepage! – and you’ll be off to a good start.

4 - Be on top of your game... Always.

Doing your research, crafting a CV that highlights your most relevant experience and achievements, and building rapport with your interviewer are all key foundations. Get this wrong and you’re fighting against the tide. Get it right and it’s the base from which you can deliver a great performance at interview. Your interview performance is key, so ensure you’re helping yourself by taking some steps to prepare. Make sure you’re ready with strong answers to the sort of questions you’d expect. If part of the role is managing people, have a few good examples to evidence how well you can manage and what that good management means in terms of outcomes; it’s not sufficient to say, ‘yes, I’ve managed before’… your interviewer will want to know how effectively. Make sure you’re also prepared to answers those questions you might not expect – so having some great stock examples / anecdotes to hand that you can draw out to support a range of core competencies, or to back up some of the points you’re wanting to make. Think about those examples that highlight how you work, what you did and what’s different about you… don’t just focus on how things turned out. Always answer clearly, concisely and with impact. How you say what you say is important. Haven’t interviewed for some time? There’s nothing wrong with practising – better to take some time to do this beforehand than try to wing it! Finally, to help make sure you’re on top of your game you’ll want to be confident. It may sound obvious but make sure you are well rested, allow plenty of time for your journey, arrive well presented and with a clear head. With today’s busy lives it’s easy to overload yourself and end up feeling things are rushed or unfocussed – whilst you might get by and do OK anyway, the ‘you on a good day’ has a much better chance!

Written by:

Huw Jenkins

Huw has over 20 years experience recruiting within the HR and Communications industry, bringing a wealth of experience and an impressive permanent and interim network across the UK and Northern Europe.

TEL: 01174563370
EMAIL: huw.jenkins@artishr.co.uk

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Success! Niche Procurement Role

Article posted:
12th February 2023

Artis Procurement Case Studies

IT Procurement Manager, £55k, global FMCG

The problem

Whilst we’d supported this long-standing client over a number of years, placing into various roles, this was a new role for them as they’d recently restructured their procurement team. Having defined a role within a very particular category/niche the client was aware the talent pool wouldn’t be extensive, especially given their location. They were also keen to bring in people who were strong at business partnering and relationship building in addition to the technical side… which made the search still more difficult.

What we did

Given our extensive candidate network and in-house search capability we set about mapping the market for the right sort of people; for starters they’d be from a business large enough to sub-divide their procurement into distinct categories, they’d have a minimum of three years within IT procurement, be within a 1hr commute and on a current salary within 20% of that on offer. A long list was arrived at through phone, email and social media approaches, and further reduced to a shortlist via telephone screening and a number of face to face meetings.

Success!

We wanted to make sure that our client had some great IT Procurement people to chose from, but we also wanted to make sure those people would meet the brief as great relationship builders and business partners, too, as the role was new and would need someone to quickly demonstrate value to the business. Feedback on the shortlist and interviews was very good, and an offer was made.
OUR CLIENT SAID: “We hadn’t used Artis for procurement roles previously, although they have been a good supplier in other areas for many years; we’re pleased we received the same level of service from Artis on this new role.” Resourcing Manager, global FMCG THE CANDIDATE SAID: “Sam came to me with this role… I wasn’t active in the market but it sounded a great role and was exactly the right sort of next-step I wanted. Roles in my discipline don’t come up often so I was please Sam thought of me.” IT Procurement Manager, global FMCG

Written by:

Paul Bryan

Artis Procurement, Purchasing and Supply Chain & Artis Customer Contact are the established experts in resourcing for mid-senior level Procurement and Customer Contact leadership roles.

TEL: 07792072090
EMAIL: Paul.bryan@artisrecruitment.co.uk

Connect on LinkedIn

Career resources & hiring guides.

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Success! Senior Procurement Role

Article posted:

Artis Procurement Case Studies

 Group Procurement Manager, £70k+benefits, FMCG

The problem

Following a restructure our client had decided to go externally with a senior management role. With a team to manage, some strategic issues to resolve and a complex portfolio of contracts to manage, the role offered challenge and opportunity for the right career-minded professional. However, the client did want a full checklist of experience, skills and management ability so the bar was quite high. Following their own activity, which didn’t attract the right people, our client came to us.

What we did

With a senior role like this we take the view that it’s down to us to reach out to the right people not just post adverts and hope for the best. As experienced recruiters within our core markets we spend much of our time building relationships with people; this builds up our network such that when there is a requirement we are already ahead of the curve. Via our database and targeted search we took this opportunity to hundreds of people, taking the time to sell it in to those people we really felt were a great fit but also hitting many others and allowing them to come back to us. This approach provided a great response, of both quality and quantity…

Success!

We presented a great shortlist to our client; some fantastic people just at the right point in their careers to take on this challenge. The client’s own process was a three-stage interview/assessment, so the candidates were put through their paces! An offer was made and a great candidate has accepted.
OUR CLIENT SAID: “For this role we wanted to bring in the best talent available, and following our own ads we chose Artis as a specialist in this area. We were pleased with the quality of service we received.” Resourcing Manager, FMCG THE CANDIDATE SAID: “I’d been looking for a role which would take my career forward for some time when I had a call from Sam; he was right, this opportunity would give me that next career step despite it being with a business I hadn’t previously considered.” Group Procurement Manager, FMCG

Written by:

Paul Bryan

Artis Procurement, Purchasing and Supply Chain & Artis Customer Contact are the established experts in resourcing for mid-senior level Procurement and Customer Contact leadership roles.

TEL: 07792072090
EMAIL: Paul.bryan@artisrecruitment.co.uk

Connect on LinkedIn

Career resources & hiring guides.

Read More

Success! Niche Procurement Interim

Article posted:
8th January 2023

Artis Procurement Case Studies

Commercial / Procurement Manager, £440/day, MoD

The problem

Some organisations can have very specific recruitment requirements; whether this is driven by the needs of their market sector, their culture, their stakeholders, particular programme requirements etc… or all of the above! As a complex organisation with some unique requirements, our client was struggling with resource for a key project; their programme team was already stretched and none had quite the right mix or skills or – critically – the right level of understanding around certain contracts and relationships for this role. A very specific sort of person was needed…

What we did

Knowing our client well we had a pretty clear idea of the sort of person they would need. (The flip side of requiring a very specific set of skills and experience of course is that the need is easy to define… whilst it could be anywhere in the haystack, the needle was very definitely a needle!). On this occasion, we knew it was a case of working our database and network to pick out those people with exactly the right background… who were available… then get on the phone to sound them out.

Success!

With assignments like this it isn’t always about finding lots of people, but it’s crucial that the match is exact for those you do find. We sourced three people who had completed similar contracts and had the right background; two were taken to interview and one offered the next day. Not an easy role to fill, but one that highlights the value of a well-connected recruiter.OUR CLIENT SAID: “Sam has placed people with us before, and whilst we needed a very specific background for this role we were confident Sam could provide us with what we were looking for.” Programme Resourcing Manager, MoD THE CANDIDATE SAID: “I’d noticed that Artis seemed to have a steady stream of the sort of roles that I look for, so I applied for a role a few weeks ago. Unfortunately it was a ‘no’ that time, but Sam came back to me with this assignment… and I’m looking forward to starting next week!” Interim Commercial Manager, MoD

Written by:

Paul Bryan

Artis Procurement, Purchasing and Supply Chain & Artis Customer Contact are the established experts in resourcing for mid-senior level Procurement and Customer Contact leadership roles.

TEL: 07792072090
EMAIL: Paul.bryan@artisrecruitment.co.uk

Connect on LinkedIn

Career resources & hiring guides.

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Success! Urgent Procurement Role

Article posted:
10th January 2023

Artis Procurement Case Studies

Procurement Lead, £620/day, Rail industry

The problem

A major client of ours was looking for a senior member of their programme team following the departure of a couple of people and some reorganisation around new projects. Whilst the role would be challenging to fill even within the usual 2-3 week lead time we needed to find and on-board someone within a week. As an established supplier, we were thrown the challenge of finding someone in double quick time.

What we did

The difficulty of finding good people well-suited to an organisation is compounded when the role needs filling within a very tight timescale; it’s all about timing and, inevitably, if your window of search is tiny there will only be a small subset of the market available to you. Given our client’s timescales we knew we needed to act quickly and reach a lot of people, so we arranged for targeted mailings, advertising and a network referral request to go out that day. Hitting lots of people within 24 hours we generated plenty of interest; the task of identifying the highest calibre people within that long list response then needed our focus and attention.

Success!

Timing is everything in scenarios like this and, due to our swift action and our market reach we managed to find a number of people fresh onto the market which we refined to create a strong shortlist. The client interviewed quickly and offered on the day; a tricky assignment but we got there… and our efforts were appreciated by both sides!
OUR CLIENT SAID: “We were impressed with the speed of response and the quality of candidates from Artis. Other suppliers were also allocated the role, but Artis delivered.” Resourcing Manager, Rail industry THE CANDIDATE SAID: “Sam came to me with this role at just the right time. I’d just finished my previous contract and taken a week away with the family… I’m pleased to be back in contract so quickly.” Interim Procurement Lead, Rail industry

Written by:

Paul Bryan

Artis Procurement, Purchasing and Supply Chain & Artis Customer Contact are the established experts in resourcing for mid-senior level Procurement and Customer Contact leadership roles.

TEL: 07792072090
EMAIL: Paul.bryan@artisrecruitment.co.uk

Connect on LinkedIn

Career resources & hiring guides.

Read More

Success! – Senior Procurement Interim

Article posted:
10th February 2023

Artis Procurement Case Studies

Lead Procurement Specialist, £700/day, Rail industry

The problem

Some organisations are complex; multiple operating entities, complicated reporting lines, challenging cultures, numerous change programmes all in flight simultaneously etc. On this occasion our client had the lot(!), and that meant some real challenges for their resourcing team in finding people with the right levels of experience, resilience, pragmatism and stakeholder management skills. Specifically, the requirement here was for an expert to manage some high-level contract negotiations and devise a new procurement framework… which was where we came in.

What we did

The senior interim space is a fascinating place in which to operate; as a trusted recruitment partner to many mid-to-large corporates our network of interim leaders is both broad and deep, and it’s something we’ve built up over time. When we took this particular brief the lightbulb came on quickly and a handful of names came to mind; great people with the perfect balance of expertise and gravitas to manage anything thrown at them. The depth of market knowledge our consultants have means they can have meaningful conversations with both candidate and client…plus then have the judgement ability to make the right recommendations.

Success!

We presented a handful of outstanding candidates to our client within a week, and interviews were arranged quickly. An offer was made to a fantastic career interim… safe hands indeed…
OUR CLIENT SAID: “This role required a strong candidate with a very credible style to help us manage a difficult situation. Sam came up with an excellent shortlist… which was exactly what we were hoping for.” Resourcing Manager, Rail industry THE CANDIDATE SAID: “I’ve worked within the rail industry for some time and was intrigued by this role when I was first approached by Artis. Sam knew his onions and painted a picture of a challenging environment and tough assignment… just the sort of thing I like.” Interim Procurement Lead, Rail industry

Written by:

Paul Bryan

Artis Procurement, Purchasing and Supply Chain & Artis Customer Contact are the established experts in resourcing for mid-senior level Procurement and Customer Contact leadership roles.

TEL: 07792072090
EMAIL: Paul.bryan@artisrecruitment.co.uk

Connect on LinkedIn

Career resources & hiring guides.

Read More