The Do’s and Don’ts: Writing Your Sales CV

So, you’re looking for a new job? Many people dread the job search and see it as a race to the end where they’ll receive the prize of a job. Of course, that is the ultimate goal, however it shouldn’t be rushed. Your CV is a great place to start in not only making you stand out, but it will give you an insight into what role you’re looking for and for which company.

As you begin writing your perfect CV you need to have a think about what a recruiter is looking for and what will cause them to sort you into the no pile. CVs are a perfect way to display a little bit of your personality, but still remain professional. So you know that cringe email you made when you were 12? Yeah, don’t use that!

DO

WRITE A PERSONAL STATEMENT

Write a short paragraph at the top of you CV introducing who you are, what you’re looking for and what you can offer. Be short and concise.

INCLUDE WHY YOU WANT TO WORK IN SALES

Ask yourself why you want a career in sales. Maybe you just love talking on the phone or you have a burning desire to become super successful. Whatever it is, make this very clear!

INCULDE KEYWORDS

Your personal statement is the perfect place to flash some keywords that a recruitment manager is looking for. If you’re applying for a job in sales, resilient, target driven, promotional skills and upselling are a must. Look at the description, pick out some key words and make sure to include them in your CV.

EXPLAIN GAPS

If you have had some time off, maybe for educational purposes, family matters or you fancied going travelling, explain this on your CV. By simply leaving a gap, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage of your CV being placed in the no pile and it may raise some eyebrows with recruitment managers. It’s best to straighten it out and avoid confusion.

SHOUT ABOUT YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS

People tend to play down their skills and achievements, but there is to time for that with hiring managers. Big yourself up, talk about your proudest achievements and make yourself sound like the big bucks. However, try to remain a little humble to not sound too arrogant.

DON’T

INCLUDE NEGATIVES

If you’ve had a bad experience in the past with a previous job or maybe didn’t enjoy a role that you were in, don’t include this in your CV. Think about your CV as a ‘good vibes’ only place. Include what you have learnt from a previous role and what skills you’ve built on the back of that, don’t vent about what you didn’t like.

WRITE IRRELEVANT INFORMATION

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but a recruiter doesn’t want to hear how you can stuff 20 marshmallows in your mouth or how you can recite the alphabet backwards. Think about each line in your CV as “prime real estate” that should only be used for relevant skills and experience.

LIE

Even if you have very little experience and are trying to expand on this, lies should be avoided at all cost. They’ll come back to bite you in the end, and you don’t want to get entangled in your own lie. If you have little experience working in a sales driven environment, but really want to build a career in sales, think about your current skills and how they are transferrable.

Write a CV that’s going to leave a lasting impression

Your CV needs to be original, specific to you, attention-grabbing and leaves the recruitment manager dying to learn more about you. If you follow our simple dos and don’ts when writing your sales CV, you’ll be sure to leave a lasting impression. Struggling to build your CV? Microsoft Word has a great CV assistance tool to get you started or if you’re feeling extra creative, Canva has some great templates to make your CV stand out.

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