Your CV is your chance to sell yourself and secure an interview. It’s often the first impression a prospective employer has of you, and from this initial glance, they’ll decide whether to take things further or not.
A stand-out CV highlights your skills and achievements and showcases your personality and the value you can bring to a team.
Crafting a solid CV is essential—it’s your ticket to moving beyond the application stage and being considered for the role. By integrating insights from Belbin roles, you can make your CV more engaging and tailored to the job you’re applying for. This helps demonstrate your suitability while allowing your unique strengths to shine through.
A well-written CV can give you the competitive edge needed in today’s job market. Let’s explore some common pitfalls and how to go about creating a CV that delivers results.
To succeed, your CV must stand out.
Good isn’t good enough – it needs to be exceptional.
This can help you stand out from other candidates by showcasing how your personality and teamwork skills align with the employer’s needs.
Want to make your CV stand out and help you to land more interviews?
How can you increase the chance of your CV ending up in the “yes” pile for an interview?
How can you transform your CV from a list of jobs, tasks and responsibilities into a document that truly sells your achievements and what you can offer?
How can you make your personality, not just your skills and knowledge, shine through?
Here are some quick tips to help you…
Invest time building a CV showcasing your strengths, achievements, and what makes you unique as a candidate.
Tailor your CV to the job description. Align your skills and experiences with what the employer is actually looking for to show you’re the ideal fit.
Spelling or grammar mistakes can be a dealbreaker. Employers often eliminate candidates for such errors, so proofread carefully.
Don’t be too modest – sell yourself. Don’t just list responsibilities; focus on accomplishments and results. Structure achievements using the C.A.R. formula below (Challenge, Action, Result).
Your CV should also reflect your behavioural strengths and show how you’ll fit into the team and company culture.
Quick tip – The AI tool Grammarly can help with grammar and spelling. It has a free version and a paid ‘Pro’ version. Grammarly can quickly check your writing for mistakes for you.
Let’s look at some practical examples of how you can use a Belbin Team Role Report to improve your chance of success. Jo is seeking a new job and has completed a Belbin Team Roles Report. As you can see from the graph below, Jo’s top two team roles are Shaper and Co-ordinator, and the lowest two are Monitor Evaluator and Specialist.
A Belbin Team Role report can transform your CV, adding greater depth and insight into your behavioural strengths. It allows you to:
Example: How Belbin Makes a Difference with CV Writing
A customised CV is vital to getting noticed. For example, if your preferred Belbin Roles highlight strengths as a Shaper or Implementer, ensure your CV reflects these traits with statements like:
This approach helps employers to see how your strengths translate into workplace success.
Incorporating Belbin roles into your CV adds more depth and context to your achievements.
Employers are also increasingly interested in how candidates will fit into their teams and contribute to the company culture.
Highlighting your behavioural strengths, such as team role styles, demonstrates self-awareness and shows that you’ve considered how your abilities align with the role.
Jo, for instance, has a Belbin report showing Shaper and Co-ordinator as their strongest roles. Their original CV stated:
“General Manager with 20 years of experience in the engineering industry. Works well with people and meets tight deadlines.”
With the help of their Belbin report, this was transformed into:
“A natural leader with 20 years of experience in the engineering sector, known for driving team performance and building strong relationships with clients and suppliers. Calm under pressure, fosters collaboration and motivates teams to achieve high performance in fast-paced environments.”
Belbin reports provide self-awareness of your behavioural strengths, helping you identify roles that fit your natural talents. For example, someone with strong Implementer and Monitor-Evaluator roles might excel in operational or analytical positions. Knowing this can guide your job search and refine how you present yourself to employers.
Achievements can demonstrate how well you have carried out a task / project or overcome challenges or problems.
So, think about what you are most proud of having delivered at work or what you have been praised for doing well. Remember that achievements can be personal or work-based and achieved individually or as part of a team.
When writing achievement statements, it is helpful to use the C.A.R. formula:
Example – A strong achievement statement using the C.A.R. structure;
Using a Belbin report to optimise your CV can significantly boost your chances of standing out to employers. By focusing on your behavioural strengths, achievements, and alignment with team dynamics, you’ll create a CV that’s both professional and impactful.
Visit our FAQ section, for a wide range of Belbin questions and answers. If you can’t find an answer, contact us, and we will respond as soon as we can
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