This summer is a genuinely difficult one for job seekers across Dorset, Hampshire and further afield. Hiring has slowed, clients are taking longer to make decisions, and the days of applying to a handful of roles and fielding three offers are, for now, behind us. That does not mean good candidates go unnoticed. It means the approach has to change, and I want to tell you plainly what I am seeing work and what is not.
Prove adaptability, do not just claim it
Writing “adaptable” on a CV tells me nothing. Give me the story instead. Think about the time you covered a colleague's workload during maternity leave or picked up a project well outside your job description because someone had to. Those are the details that make a CV memorable, and they are the ones I ask candidates to dig out during our initial screening call.
Put numbers behind your problem-solving
If you fixed a broken process, tell me what it cost the business before and what it saved afterwards. Specific figures are the kind of evidence that gets a CV noticed. In a market where clients are being more selective, this sort of example is what helps you get shortlisted.
Tailor every application you send
A CV written for one specific role will always beat a generic one sent to fifty employers, no exceptions. Match the language of the job description, lead with the experience that the role actually needs, and cut anything that is not relevant to that particular client.
Use AI to assist your writing, not to do it for you
The market is awash with generic, AI-generated CVs that do not reflect the person behind them. It is obvious, it reads as lazy, and it will not cut the mustard with anyone shortlisting for a role. Use AI carefully to tidy up your presentation and sharpen your writing, but do not simply copy and paste AI-generated content into your CV.
Stay visible and stay patient
This market rewards candidates who keep showing up consistently rather than those looking for a shortcut. Keep your network active, keep applying steadily, and do not take a slow response personally. Clients are moving cautiously across the board right now, not just with you.
If you would like a proper conversation about your CV, your interview approach, or where you sit in the current market, get in touch. That is exactly the sort of straight-talking advice my agency was built on.