7 tips for Microsoft Dynamics consultants – How to improve your CV

 

 

Employers receive huge amounts of CVs and don’t usually spend much time reading each one of them, which is why it’s always an advantage to spend time improving yours.

As a Resource Manager at 365 Freelance, I see many Dynamics consultants’ resumes and I also hear a lot of feedback from employers who hire Dynamics resources. Here is a list of tips to help you make your resume more efficient.

 

1 – Spend time on the formatting

The way your CV looks is important – if the formatting is good, it can encourage a potential employer to spend more time reading it. Make sure the different sections are easy to spot by playing with police size/colour and by adding borders when appropriate. Don’t go too far, though – pick one sober colour (such as blue or grey) and only use it in well-chosen places.

Keep the same formatting all the way through your CV – it might sound obvious, but I’ve seen CVs where the formatting changes several times and it makes it look unprofessional.

Stay clear of huge paragraphs with no spacing and present your information in an organised and logical way. Keep the content as short and punchy as you can and try not to exceed two pages in total.

Check the spelling. Be thorough. When quoting software names, don’t forget to put a capital letter at the beginning.

 

2 – Work on your Personal Profile section

The Personal Profile section is your chance to make an employer want to read more about you. Keep it short and to the point: state what you can bring to their business rather than what you’re looking for. You can mention your experience with relevant Dynamics products and in relevant positions, your knowledge of specific industries and your main professional assets.

 

3 – Advertise your achievements

A good resume isn’t just a list of the tasks you’ve accomplished in your previous jobs. You also need to show what you achieved while on the job and what contributions you made. Add an ‘achievements’ section under you most recent positions – it can be, for example, ‘delivered project on time and on budget’, or a challenge you’ve faced and successfully resolved, or a situation where you exceeded what was expected of you.

When appropriate, give numbers or short examples of what you’ve accomplished.

 

4 – Add a Technical Skills section

Employers like to see all the software you know about it one place. Use this section to advertise what you can do outside core Dynamics and don’t forget to mention the add-ons you know about.

 

5 – List your certifications

Certifications are important for certain positions and they show your commitment to always learn new skills.

 

6 – Mention your soft skills

Your soft skills are important to employers – they appear more and more in the lists of requirements our clients give us. In the Dynamics field, soft sills such as communication, teamwork, time management or leadership are valued and needed. Mentioning your soft skills in your resume will increase your chances of getting noticed.

 

7 – Customise your resume for each job you apply to

Sending the same resume to each potential employer is usually a mistake. As a Dynamics consultant – especially if you’ve been doing it for several years – you’ve probably had a number of job titles and responsibilities throughout your career. But what an employer needs to know is how you fit their current job description.

Here’s how you can show that you understand and meet the employer’s requirements:

– Use the job title for the position you’re applying for as the title of your resume.
– A given task can be described in various ways. When discussing your previous experience, make sure you use the same wording as in the job description when appropriate.
– Go through the job description and make sure that, when you meet one of the requirements, it appears clearly on your CV.
– Remove or reduce all information that isn’t relevant to the position you’re applying for.

 

I hope you find this useful to get your next position and if you have any further suggestions, feel free to comment or to reply to me.

 

 

About us: 365 Freelance is the first online platform that gives Dynamics partners and end-users instant access to hundreds of contractors. With a network spanning 80 countries, it allows companies to search for freelancers based on their skills, rates and available dates, enabling them to find the best person for their projects without incurring the hefty fees typical of recruitment agencies. Register here – www.365freelance.com.