A 5-minute guide to building a strong CV (and portfolio)

Let’s be honest — writing a CV is harder than it should be.

Most people don’t struggle because they lack skills or experience; they struggle because it’s hard to show that experience clearly.

The result? CVs that feel busy, unfocused, or a bit… forgettable. Including too much information with not enough focus can make it difficult for employers to see a candidate’s value. 

The good news is a strong CV doesn’t need to be complicated - it just needs to be clear, relevant, and easy for employers to see your value. 

Here’s a quick 5-minute guide to getting the fundamentals right.

Trying to include everything (and overwhelming everyone)

It’s a natural instinct to want to include everything — every role, every task, every responsibility. 

But from an employer’s perspective, this often leads to CVs that feel vague. When everything is included, it’s hard to see the things that actually matter.

Strong CVs prioritise focus – start with:

• Your most recent and relevant roles
• Experience that links to the job you want
• Skills that are actually relevant
• Clear examples of where you solved a problem or added value

Then make sure you stick to 1-2 pages max, it’s easy to read, and you’ve cut everything that doesn’t add value. 

In a competitive job market, this makes it easier for hiring managers - particularly in fast-paced SMEs reviewing applications quickly— to understand why you’re the right candidate for the job.

Your CV is your highlights reel – not your full history. 

Listing tasks and responsibilities, but not showing impact

A lot of CV’s focus heavily on what someone did, and not what difference they made. This is one of the biggest missed opportunities.

Employers are looking for clear outcomes and impact. Reframe your experience to show what benefit you added - highlight performance or where you made improvements.

And think carefully about how you word it. If you have stats – add them! Just not too many. 

Even small changes can make a huge difference, for example:

Instead of “responsible for customer enquiries” focus on “managed high-volume customer enquiries, improving response times by x”

Or change “supported marketing campaigns” for “supported multi-channel marketing campaigns contributing to [x amount] of increased engagement over [time period] compared to [previous time period]”

Think clearly about:

• Results: Did you improve something? Make something faster?
• Scale of your work or projects (team size, project size, volume)
• Did you help achieve a result and contribute to business objectives?

Help employers understand what you’re capable of — not just what you were involved in.

Having a CV that’s clear, but not specific

A CV can be well-written and still fail to stand out.

When you’re competing for a sought-after role, clarity alone isn’t always enough — CVs need direction - and this can make the difference between being shortlisted, or not.

From an employer’s perspective, the key questions are:

• What does this person do?
• Where do they add value?
• Are they aligned to the role?

If that isn’t immediately clear, strong candidates can be overlooked.

Help answer these questions by taking a more focused approach:

• Include a short, targeted personal statement at the top
• Tailor your CV skills and experience to the role 
• Align your skills and experience to the job requirements

These small improvements can improve shortlisting outcomes massively, making it much easier to see why you’re the right candidate — especially where employers are making quickfire decisions.

Standing out is about relevance of your experience and where (and how) you added value.

Don’t underestimate the value of your portfolio (especially in certain roles)

For many roles nowadays, particularly across digital, marketing, and creative sectors, a CV just isn’t enough. 

A portfolio offers real evidence of a candidate’s ability, showcasing their strengths and achievements and reducing risk for employers during the hiring process.

A strong portfolio should focus on quality rather than quantity: offer 3–5 relevant examples of your best work, with a brief explanation of the goal and what you did to achieve the outcome. Basically, show clear context - objective, role, outcome - that demonstrates problem-solving.

It doesn’t have to be perfect or professional work either.

If you’re lacking professional examples, try including personal projects, training, and coursework or even mock (practise) briefs that are aligned to industry needs. 

For employers, it’s about being able to see how you think and what you can do – and portfolios offer the clearest example of that real ability. 

And importantly — make sure it’s easy to find! Add a link directly in your CV.

Final thoughts

Strong CVs aren’t about saying more.

They’re about showcasing your talents and who you are more clearly - so it’s easier for key decision makers and employers to see you value – and to choose you.

Keep it simple. Keep it relevant. Show your impact. And back it up with real examples. 

Job done.

Not sure where to start? Essex Growth Agency can help. Our network of organisations and partners can offer free skills, training, and support, to help you:  

• Refine your CV 
• Showcase your experience in a way employers look for
• Build a simple and effective portfolio
• Understand what employers in your sector are looking for

‍Get in touch to see what free support is available and let us help you stand out. 

Together, let’s grow for it.