How to Demonstrate Personal Development in a CV

An interesting and informative CV can make all the difference between landing an interview for your dream job, and being passed over. There are multiple parts in a resume that are equally essential and can serve as a marketing tool to sell yourself to your future employer. One of these is personal development.

Based on the Maslow pyramid, personal development or so-called “self-actualization” is the most important need that each individual has. Due to our differences, people have diverse developmental targets; therefore, it is crucial in your CV to state the most critical ones for the job you are applying to.

Types of Personal Development

Personal development can be seen as skills that are developed throughout the year and are often experience based, for instance, good presentation skills or time management. It can also be acquired through educational means by attending special courses or trainings, for example, perfect knowledge of Excel or a diploma in the Japanese language. Furthermore, personal development can be personal, such as seriously working on a hobby, which is often creative; and research has continued to show the importance of creativity at the work environment.

Knowing the difference may assist with putting the right competences in the most logical place on the CV—personal statement, work experience, education, hobbies—and to adapt it to the job you are applying to.

Personal Statement or Training

One of the best places to showcase personal development is in the main body of your resume, under the “personal statement” headline. Employers are interested not only in your education and experience, but particularly in the type of person you are. Therefore, the advice is not to be too generic. This means that if your communication skills are strong, and you are a real team player, then write it down. Sometimes, it is beneficial to give an example of one of your skills. It might help you to sell yourself to your future employer. Furthermore, by including personal development in the statement, you reveal a little bit more of your personality, which makes you more attractive, relatable and gives a good impression of who you are. An example of a good personal statement: “A dynamic team leader; able to bring energy, enthusiasm, and humor to motivate team members to achieve potential and meet objectives”.

Another option for placing personal development is under the headline called “Training”. Some people might have attended many extra classes, which makes them more attractive to the new employer. If you are applying to the ICT sector, it is beneficial to include on your resume that you know Java or C++. Anything that makes you special and knowledgeable should be on it.

Keywords for Personal Development

Well thought out and prime keywords make your profile and CV extra visible, especially on social media and online job boards. These lead to higher traffic at recruiters who are interested in you.

Here is a short example of some keywords:
• A quick learner
• Highly motivated
• Work well under pressure
• An eye for a detail
• Easy to adapt
• Goal driven
• Multitasker
• Flexible, etc.

Overall, rightly chosen skills are a key to a successful CV that leads to a positive reply instead of a rejection.

Asta Kerkhoven

Sources:
http://www.getmeacooljob.com/cvkeywords/Personal-Development-Skills-CV-Keywords.html
http://gabrielatardea-development.blogspot.nl/2008/11/cv-content.html
https://susanireland.com/job-lounge/sample-resume-summary-statements-personal-attributes-values/
https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/personal-development.html
http://www.jobsite.co.uk/worklife/write-great-personal-statement-19629/
https://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/what-words-should-i-use-on-my-cv/