Resume and Professional Profile

Recruiters often skim a CV quickly (a rule of thumb, not a fixed time). They are asking one question: what will this person do for us? A list of duties answers a different question (what was your job title's paperwork?). An achievement answers it.

• Duty: 'Responsible for customer complaints.' Achievement: 'Cut complaint response time from 5 days to 2 days across a 12-person team, and kept the rate at 2 days for 9 months.'
• A strong achievement line has four parts: an ACTION VERB (what you did), the SCALE (how many, how big), the RESULT (a number, before and after) and the TIME (how long, or by when).
• No number yet? Estimate honestly and say so ('about 30 families a week'). Never invent. Ask a colleague or check old records.

Activity. Take your last three jobs or projects. For each, write the duty line, then rewrite it as an achievement line with action verb, scale, result and time. Keep all nine lines in My page.

Standard to meet. Rewrite each line with all four parts; put a number in at least 6 of 9; claim nothing you cannot show.

Most people cannot think of achievements when asked. Use the SMART story frame: Situation, Mission, Action, Result, Takeaway. It turns a memory into evidence you can use on a CV, on a profile and in an interview.

• Situation: where were you, what was wrong or needed? One sentence.
• Mission: what were you asked, or what did you decide, to do? One sentence.
• Action: the 2 or 3 things YOU did (not 'we'). Start each with a verb.
• Result: the number, the praise, the change. Then Takeaway: what you learned or would repeat.
• Aim for 3 to 4 stories per role, and pick stories that match the job you want next.

Activity. Write three SMART stories for your three strongest skills. Read one aloud in 90 seconds to a partner in your peer circle and ask which part they would repeat back.

Standard to meet. Give each story all five parts, use 'I' for actions, include one measurable result, and keep it under 90 seconds to tell.

Four common beliefs waste your time. Test each one against what employers and recruiters actually do.

• Myth: a CV is simply good or bad. Reality: a CV is good or bad FOR A TARGET job. The same page can win one role and lose another.
• Myth: always start with an objective statement. Reality: a two-line summary of what you offer (not what you want) is more useful. Delete 'seeking a challenging position'.
• Myth: a long list of responsibilities impresses. Reality: lists blur together; three or four achievement lines per role stand out.
• Myth: the CV is the most important job-search tool. Reality: people, referrals and a clear public profile often open the door first; the CV confirms.

Activity. Audit your current CV against the four myths. Mark each line as duty, achievement, or filler. Cross out filler. Count your achievement lines.

Standard to meet. Audit table complete; filler removed; at least one achievement line per role.

You cannot tailor a CV without a target. Benchmark means comparing yourself to what real roles ask for, then closing the gap honestly.

• Collect 5 real job adverts for the role you want. Highlight every skill or duty that appears in 3 or more.
• Build a gap table: skill asked | evidence I have | evidence I need | action and date.
• Look at 5 public profiles of people already in that role (public information only; do not contact anyone in a pushy way). Note their path: first job, second job, courses.
• Choose keywords from the adverts and use them truthfully in your summary, skills and achievement lines.

Activity. Complete a gap table for your target role with at least 6 rows and a date on every action.

Standard to meet. Cite five adverts; complete six rows; point each 'have' row to a real piece of evidence in My page.

One page for under 5 years of experience; two pages at most after that. Plain layout so that both people and software can read it.

• Order: name and contact, two-line summary, key skills (6 to 8, matched to the advert), experience (newest first, achievement lines), education and courses, optional extras.
• Each role: job title, organisation, dates, then 3 to 4 achievement lines. Start every line with a different action verb: led, built, reduced, designed, trained, negotiated, analysed.
• Use one simple font, no photos or tables unless your region expects a photo, and save a copy as a plain document and as a PDF.
• Do not list personal details your region does not need (check local custom): ID numbers, bank details, full home address.

Activity. Write your target CV. Ask two peers to read it for 30 seconds each and tell you what they remember.

Standard to meet. Fit the page limit; give every role 3 to 4 achievement lines; leave no spelling errors; check that peers remember at least one number.

A public professional profile is your CV that people can find, in your own words, and it can show your work. Use it to be found, to be trusted and to start conversations.

• Headline: what you do and for whom, short enough to read at a glance (about 120 characters is a common limit; check your platform). Not just a job title.
• About section: first 2 lines matter most; state what you do, one proof with a number, and what you are looking for.
• Experience: reuse your achievement lines. Skills: pick the ones in your target adverts. Add a clear, friendly photo where local custom allows.
• Show expertise: write about three topics you know well (a short post, a tip, a lesson learned). Give before you take: comment helpfully, thank people, share others' good work.
• Privacy and safety: never post personal ID, never share an employer's confidential material, check who can see what.

Activity. Rewrite your headline and About section; choose 3 expert topics; write one short post and ask two people for feedback. Keep drafts in My page.

Standard to meet. Write a short headline that names a role and a focus; put one number in About; list 3 topics; draft one post.

Networking works when it is generous and specific. A good message is short, personal, and asks for something small.

• Give first: share a useful article, congratulate a promotion, answer a question.
• Message pattern: who you are in one line, why this person, one small ask (a 15-minute call, one piece of advice). Make it easy to say no.
• Follow up with thanks and tell them what you did with the advice. Keep a simple tracker: name, date, what they said, next step.
• Respect: no mass messages, no pressure, no asking strangers for a job.

Activity. Write three messages to three different people (a classmate, a trainer, a professional in your target role). Send none until you have had peer feedback.

Standard to meet. Keep each message under 80 words with one specific ask, and pass a peer 'would I reply?' check.

Your SMART stories become your interview answers. Prepare five stories that can answer most questions: a result, a problem solved, a team moment, a mistake and what you learned, and a time you learned something fast.

• Study the organisation: what it does, who it serves, one recent thing you can honestly respect.
• Prepare two questions to ask them. Practise out loud, with a timer, with a peer.
• After every interview or conversation: write down what went well, what you would change and one thing to follow up. Send a short thank-you note within a day.
• Keep a living file in My page: CV versions, stories, gap table, tracker. Update it every 3 months.

Activity. Complete a 10-minute mock interview with a peer using your five stories. Record yourself if you can. Score yourself on the rubric and write two improvements.

Standard to meet. Prepare five stories; complete a mock interview; score the rubric; date two improvements.

On the slide: L1 Basic · What a CV is for

Notes: Say in one sentence what a CV is for and name its main parts. Notes: compare a duties list with an achievement line; no tools needed.

On the slide: L2 Awareness · Honest, simple basics

Notes: Write contact details, headline and two honest achievement lines. Notes: check every claim has a record behind it.

On the slide: L3 Foundation · Write a target CV

Notes: Pick one target role and write a one-page CV with keywords from five adverts. Notes: each role gets three to four lines with action, scale, result and time.

On the slide: L4 Practitioner · Profile and stories

Notes: Write a public profile headline and five situation, mission, action, result stories. Notes: a strong headline names the field and one proof point, not just "student".

On the slide: L5 Specialist · Network and interview

Notes: Send a respectful message and practise a mock interview. Notes: score the mock against the rubric; fix two things and date them.

On the slide: L6 Advanced · Coach other writers

Notes: Review another learner's CV and give written feedback. Notes: sample three CVs; mark each against the rubric and explain every mark.

On the slide: L7 Super expert · Design a career-document service

Notes: Plan a CV and profile clinic for a school or college. Notes: set quality checks, local custom rules (photo, age, ID) and a yearly review.