Today's task

How to build a CV that actually gets traction

• Choose one role on your CV to focus on today and ask yourself honestly:

  • Does this section clearly show the impact I had in this role?

  • Would a hiring manager immediately understand the difference I made?

• Rewrite the bullet points for that role so they focus on impact, not just tasks

  • Add numbers, outcomes, or measurable change wherever possible

  • Make sure the wording sounds like you, not generic or AI-generated

This session focuses on one of the biggest decision points in any charity recruitment process: your CV. For many people it is the first, and sometimes the only, chance to show what they can do, so it is worth getting right.

You’ll learn how charity recruiters and hiring managers scan CVs, what they look for in those first crucial seconds, and how to clearly show that you can do the job. Many strong candidates are overlooked simply because their best achievements are buried or hard to find, and this video shows you how to change that. It is designed to be practical, so you can pause, open your own CV and make improvements as you go.

Adam walks you through a CV structure that highlights impact, not just responsibilities, so your experience reads as results rather than a list of duties. He also explains how to communicate your value with confidence, without overselling yourself or sounding like everyone else. You’ll see how to decide what to put first, what to shorten and what to leave out altogether, so the most relevant experience always stands out.

You’ll also cover the most common CV mistakes, how to use numbers effectively to make your achievements concrete, and how to avoid generic or overly AI-generated content that makes a CV forgettable. Along the way, you’ll see how small changes to wording, layout and order can make a real difference to how your CV is read. You’ll also learn how to adapt your CV to different roles and charities, without rewriting it from scratch each time.

By the end, you’ll have a clearer, stronger CV that is easier to read, shows your impact at a glance, and is far more likely to get shortlisted. You’ll also feel more confident about what you are sending and why, rather than second-guessing every line.