One particular challenge you may encounter as an HR assistant is ensuring that the CVs collected are effectively organised and easily accessible for future reference. Our comprehensive guide offers detailed strategies and practical tools to streamline your CV management process, enhancing both efficiency and accuracy in your recruitment tasks.
- Applying best practices from real-world examples to ensure your profile always meets recruiters' expectations;
- What to include in your work experience section, apart from your past roles and responsibilities?
- Why are both hard and soft skills important for your application?
- How do you need to format your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker Software (ATS) assessment?
If you're writing your CV for a niche hr assistant role, make sure to get some inspiration from professionals:
How to ensure your profile stands out with your hr assistant CV format
It's sort of a Catch 22. You want your hr assistant CV to stand out amongst a pile of candidate profiles, yet you don't want it to be too over the top that it's unreadable. Where is the perfect balance between your CV format simple, while using it to shift the focus to what matters most. That is - your expertise. When creating your hr assistant CV:- list your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your latest roles;
- include a header with your professional contact information and - optionally - your photograph;
- organise vital and relevant CV sections - e.g. your experience, skills, summary/ objective, education - closer to the top;
- use no more than two pages to illustrate your professional expertise;
- format your information using plenty of white space and standard (2.54 cm) margins, with colours to accent key information.
Once you've completed your information, export your hr assistant CV in PDF, as this format is more likely to stay intact when read by the Applicant Tracker System or the ATS. A few words of advice about the ATS - or the software used to assess your profile:
- Generic fonts, e.g. Arial and Times New Roman, are ATS-compliant, yet many candidates stick with these safe choices. Ensure your CV stands out by using a more modern, and simple, fonts like Lato, Exo 2, Volkhov;
- All serif and sans-serif fonts are ATS-friendly. Avoid the likes of fancy decorative or script typography, as this may render your information to be illegible;
- Both single- and double-column formatted CVs could be assessed by the ATS;
- Integrating simple infographics, icons, and charts across your CV won't hurt your chances during the ATS assessment.
PRO TIP
For certain fields, consider including infographics or visual elements to represent skills or achievements, but ensure they are simple, professional, and enhance rather than clutter the information.
The top sections on a hr assistant CV
- Personal Statement highlights passion for HR: It provides a snapshot of your goals and HR interest.
- HR-Relevant Work Experience details progression: Shows your journey and expertise within the HR field.
- Key HR Skills and Competencies showcase ability: Demonstrates specific HR skills pertinent to the role.
- Educational Background with HR emphasis: Indicates your foundational knowledge and specialised HR training.
- HR Certifications and Memberships add credibility: Reflects commitment to ongoing professional HR development.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your understanding of HR systems and databases by mentioning your proficiency in specific HRM software such as Sage HRMS, BambooHR, or Workday, to demonstrate your technical competence relevant to an HR Assistant role.
- Emphasise your communication skills, showcasing experiences where you've successfully mediated workplace disputes or facilitated internal communication, as these are crucial for employee relations and HR tasks.
- Include any experience with recruitment processes, such as scheduling interviews or posting job ads, as these are key responsibilities for HR Assistants and demonstrate your capability in managing the end-to-end hiring process.
- Showcase your organisational skills through examples where you've managed employee records, coordinated training sessions, or handled sensitive documents, proving your ability to maintain meticulous HR administration.
- Detail any relevant qualifications, such as CIPD certification or HR-specific training modules, to affirm your dedication and specialised knowledge in Human Resources practices.
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Tips and tricks on writing a job-winning hr assistant CV header
The CV header is the space which most recruiters would be referring most often to, in the beginning and end of your application. That is as the CV header includes your contact details, but also a headline and a professional photo. When writing your CV header:
- Double-check your contact details for spelling errors or if you've missed any digits. Also, ensure you've provided your personal details, and not your current work email or telephone number;
- Include your location in the form of the city and country you live in. If you want to be more detailed, you can list your full address to show proximity to your potential work place;
- Don't include your CV photo, if you're applying for roles in the UK or US, as this may bias initial recruiters' assessments;
- Write a professional headline that either integrates the job title, some relevant industry keywords, or your most noteworthy achievement.
In the next part of our guide, we'll provide you with professional CVs that showcase some of the best practices when it comes to writing your headline.
Examples of good CV headlines for hr assistant:
- HR Assistant | CIPD Level 3 Qualified | Payroll & Recruitment Expertise | 2 Years of Experience
- Senior HR Assistant | Employee Relations & Compliance Specialist | 5+ Years in HR Management
- Junior HR Assistant | Talent Acquisition & Onboarding Focus | Recent Human Resources Graduate
- HR Administrative Assistant | Data-Driven Performance Analysis | HRIS Proficient | 3 Years in HR
- HR Assistant | Reward & Benefits Coordinator | Employment Law Enthusiast | CIPD Associate
- HR Support Assistant | Diversity & Inclusion Advocate | Training & Development Experience | 4 Years in HR
What's the difference between a hr assistant CV summary and objective
Why should it matter to you?
- Your hr assistant CV summary is a showcasing your career ambitions and your unique value. Use the objective to answer why your potential employers should hire you based on goals and ambitions. The objective is the ideal choice for candidates who happen to have less professional experience, but still meet some of the job requirements.
Before you select which one will be more relevant to your experience, have a look at some industry-leading CV summaries and objectives.
CV summaries for a hr assistant job:
CV objectives for a hr assistant job:
- Eager to bring my strong interpersonal skills and proficiency in HR software to Smith & Co as an HR Assistant, aiming to support the HR team in optimizing employee engagement and streamlining recruitment processes in a dynamic environment.
- Seeking an HR Assistant role at a forward-thinking environmental nonprofit, utilizing my background in psychology and talent for organization to enhance team performance and contribute to effective talent management practices.
- Aiming to apply my bilingual skills and solid understanding of labor laws at Global Tech Industries, striving to facilitate a well-organized HR department that upholds a productive and multicultural workforce.
- Looking to leverage my experience in HR administration and adept use of payroll systems to become an integral part of the HR team at HealthCare Corp, focusing on employee satisfaction and accurate data management in a fast-paced setting.
- Determined to use my passion for people development and knowledge of competency frameworks in the function of an HR Assistant with Jasper International, helping to cultivate a skilled and motivated workforce that aligns with strategic business objectives.
- Aspiring to join the HR department of Blue Ocean Real Estate, bringing my sharp attention to detail, advanced proficiency in HRIS, and commitment to maintaining a productive work environment, while supporting various HR initiatives and personnel tasks.
Swapping your professional experience (when you have none) with skills and more
Never underestimate the importance of relevancе when it comes to your hr assistant CV. Even if you don't happen to have much or any standard (full-time contract) professional experience, this doesn't mean you shouldn't apply for the role. Instead of a bespoke CV experience section:
- Showcase more prominently any internships, part-time roles, and volunteer experience that are applicable to the role and have taught you job-crucial skills;
- Feature a strengths or achievements section with your transferrable skills or talents you've obtained thanks to your work or life experience;
- Write an objective statement that clearly outlines your values as a candidate and defines your career ambitions;
- List your education or certificates that match the job profile closer to the top of your CV.
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PRO TIP
Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
Describing your unique skill set using both hard skills and soft skills
Your hr assistant CV provides you with the perfect opportunity to spotlight your talents, and at the same time - to pass any form of assessment. Focusing on your skill set across different CV sections is the way to go, as this would provide you with an opportunity to quantify your achievements and successes. There's one common, very simple mistake, which candidates tend to make at this stage. Short on time, they tend to hurry and mess up the spelling of some of the key technologies, skills, and keywords. Copy and paste the particular skill directly from the job requirement to your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Now, your CV skills are divided into:
- Technical or hard skills, describing your comfort level with technologies (software and hardware). List your aptitude by curating your certifications, on the work success in the experience section, and technical projects. Use the dedicated skills section to provide recruiters with up to twelve technologies, that match the job requirements, and you're capable of using.
- People or soft skills provide you with an excellent background to communicate, work within a team, solve problems. Don't just copy-paste that you're a "leader" or excel at "analysis". Instead, provide tangible metrics that define your success inusing the particular skill within the strengths, achievements, summary/ objective sections.
Top skills for your hr assistant CV:
Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)
Recruitment & Onboarding
Employee Relations
Payroll Processing
Benefits Administration
Employment Law
Performance Management
Scheduling
Training & Development
Data Entry & Reporting
Communication
Interpersonal Abilities
Problem-Solving
Organisational Skills
Attention to Detail
Discretion and Ethics
Teamwork
Adaptability
Time Management
Empathy
PRO TIP
If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
Your university degree and certificates: an integral part of your hr assistant CV
Let's take you back to your uni days and decide what information will be relevant for your hr assistant CV. Once more, when discussing your higher education, select only information that is pertinent to the job (e.g. degrees and projects in the same industry, etc.). Ultimately, you should:
- List only your higher education degrees, alongside start and graduation dates, and the university name;
- Include that you obtained a first degree for diplomas that are relevant to the role, and you believe will impress recruiters;
- Showcase relevant coursework, projects, or publications, if you happen to have less experience or will need to fill in gaps in your professional history.
PRO TIP
If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
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Key takeaways
Write your professional hr assistant CV by studying and understanding what the role expectations are. You should next:
- Focus on tailoring your content to answer specific requirements by integrating advert keywords through various CV sections;
- Balance your technical know-how with your personal skills to showcase what the unique value would be of working with you;
- Ensure your CV grammar and spelling (especially of your key information and contact details) is correct;
- Write a CV summary, if your experience is relevant, and an objective, if your career ambitions are more impressive;
- Use active language by including strong, action verbs across your experience, summary/objective, achievements sections.
