CV’s for Procurement Jobs
Everyone can put a few dates and job titles on a piece of paper in an effort to get their dream procurement job. But what does it really take to stand out from the crowd?
In the current digital environment, an attractive job advert could draw in hundreds if not thousands of CV’s and cover letters within a matter of hours, which means yours has to stand out from the crowd in order to even be considered for an interview for that dream procurement job!
Functional Procurement CV
A functional or skills based CV is a way of getting straight to the point and showing the hiring manager that your experience is relevant to the procurement or supply chain job they are hiring for. Instead of listing your experience in a chronological order you begin by saying what you are good at and what experience you have which is relevant to the position i.e. why they should hire you!
Creating a functional CV for a procurement or supply chain job is a bold move and can be best used when applying for a job which is along a similar line to what you already do or have done in the past, on the other hand it can come into its own when you’re looking for a change in careers or sectors. A functional CV allows you to lead with your transferable skills highlighting to potential employees why you would be an ideal candidate for a change in role or sector.
If you think the functional/ skills based CV could work for your next procurement job application then here’s how to do it……
Make a start with all the standard information you would expect to see on a CV such as your name, contact details and LinkedIn profile link. Next lead into your profile summarising who you are and your aims followed by your list of transferable skills best to list as bullet points in two columns, to make it quick and easy to read and to sell yourself quickly.
Typically, you’d then expand on each of these skills on the 1st page, before listing your career history on the next page, with bullet points of key achievements for each job role. You should be aiming to impress the potential employer on the first page so really make yourself stand out.
How to stand out on paper!
As with all CVs, a functional/ skills-based one should be tailored to the procurement job you’re applying for. Try noting down on paper the key skills you have that you think will be important to the job role. Then look at your employment history and see where you have used these skills.
Combining your transferable skills with relevant past experience will make you stand out. This means making sure that for every skill you’ve identified as being important, you need to think of examples of how you’ve demonstrated it, ideally hand-in-hand with tangible achievements. Anyone can say they are a team player but combining it with an example of when you have been a team player will show the employer the effort you have put into when applying for the procurement position.
If you don’t have all the relevant skills they’re looking for, don’t be tempted to ignore it and hope potential employers won’t notice. In the current digital age recruitment software has keyword-trawling features, which scans your CV for keywords relating to the procurement positions available.
In addition, even if you somehow get through the keyword search, you can’t take the chance that there won’t be another candidate who does have all the boxes ticked for that perfect procurement position.
Finally, take your time to put your functional CV together and ensure it is relevant to the position you are applying to.
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