Does your resume describe your best achievements and accomplishments?
It’s one of the easiest mistakes to make when writing your resume or CV. In trying to succinctly sum up your previous experience you’ve ended up with a boring list of responsibilities and duties. It reads like a job description and does little to grab the attention of a recruiter.
To truly impress, you need to present a persuasive review of your past achievements and accomplishments. In the highly competitive world of cabin crew recruitment, you can’t just show that you can do the job adequately. You have to prove that you’ll excel and achieve.
You need to explain how you will exceed exceptions, show how you will consistently deliver outstanding results and present yourself as the very best candidate for the job.
Duties Vs. Achievements
To show why this is so important, take a look at the following example of an applicant with previous experience working as a supermarket cashier.
“Diligently served customers,
Helped to pack bags for customers,
Operated till and cashed up at end of day,
Helped to open and close the shop.”
Okay, so this isn’t bad. It shows that the candidate has experience in dealing with customers and taking personal responsibility.
But it does nothing to describe how well the applicant performed these duties. You wouldn’t know if the applicant enjoyed the job, or went out of their way for customers or achieved more than was expected of them.
For all we know, the applicant could have hated the job. Never helped his or her colleagues. Did the bare minimum of work required and didn’t exceed the expectations of his or her customers.
Let the Recruiter See Your True Personality
A resume that focuses on achievements can provide a compelling picture of the person you really are. It allows the recruiter to see your personality and the personal attributes that make you special.
How could the shop assistants experience be rewritten? Here’s one example:
“Won ‘Employee of the Month’ for diligently serving customers quickly,
Recognised by supervisor for proactively helping customers by packing bags of less able customers,
Exceeded KPI’s in maintaining till system and reduced losses,
Awarded responsibility for closing up shop as a trusted and diligent team member.”
It’s immediately obvious that this candidate is a hardworking and diligent team member who is excelling in his or her role. The candidate has highlighted achievements that show his or her worth to an airline.
Sometimes when we do the same job day in, day out it’s easy to lose track of the small achievements we have made. Although everything you write in your resume has to be the truth, try to remember that your resume is the first opportunity to sell yourself.
Think how you do differently that makes you a better candidate.
Also, keep in mind what the airline is looking for in its cabin crew. The recruiter needs a clear picture what you will bring to the airline. How your ethos, motivation, skills and personality will help the airline. Focus on the benefits that you will bring with you – not what you are hoping to gain by becoming cabin crew.
Focus on the benefits that you will bring with you – not what you are hoping to gain by becoming cabin crew.
By being laser focused on highlighting your achievements you’ll soon have a resume that a recruiter will love reading. One that makes them want to know more about you. A resume that truly portrays the skills and experience you will bring and how well you will fit in at the airline.