Food Focussed CV Tips

Whether you’re a permanent or interim in the Food Manufacturing industry, there are certain golden rules to adhere to when compiling your CV. The consultants here at Quantica have given thought to what makes a good CV in this sector, below are our handy hints!

1: Detail your area

For any given role a consultant may be asked to find a candidate with, for example ‘chilled’ experience. When searching on job boards these key words are integral, as they will be used as search terms. Whether your experience lies in chilled, dairy, ambient, and so on, make sure it’s on your CV! Also, add in details such as particular product knowledge and experience.

2: List and quantify your achievements

Think about the role/roles you have had in your career and if you haven’t already then list your achievements. This allows employers a vital insight into your successes and therefore what you can potentially do for them. For example, if you are a Technical Manager a fantastic achievement to detail would be; “Saved meat processing contract from Double Red audit status to Amber/Green, gaining full buy in to changes from key team members & addressing complaints.”.

3: Make your hobbies relevant

The hobbies section on your CV can be a fantastic opportunity to highlight your strengths. If you are seeking a management position, display how you exhibit managerial ability in your personal life. An illustration of this could be managing your local football team.

4: Show off your qualifications

In the food industry it is important to highlight your most relevant and advance qualifications. There is no need to feature your GCSE grades if you have a degree, show your highest level of education. It is also integral to specify all professional and industry related courses completed.

5: Paint a picture of your experience

Employers like to have a comprehensive understanding of your career history, this means not only understanding what you did but where you did it. The environment you achieved your professional highlights in can define their importance. Itemise which site you worked at, how many employees that particular site had, who were the main customers/main retailers etc.

Quick Tips

Do’s

• Do use bullet points.
• Do go into detail about recent roles but summarise ones over 10 years old.
• Do have an email address you feel reads professionally.
• Do try and keep your CV to a maximum of two pages.

Don’ts

• Don’t leave gaps in your CV – explain periods of unemployment where possible.
• Don’t speak in the 3^rd person.
• Don’t over complicate it; a simply laid out CV is the most effective.