Top Tips for Tender CV Submissions

Curriculum Vitaes are a key part of any tender submission. The smart move is not to leave your team’s CVs to the last minute. Create them well ahead of time to alleviate stress, allow for quality checks and save time for all future submissions.

Write Consistent, Clear, and Concise CVs

So let’s talk about what CVs should look like for a tender submission and how best to profile your team. CVs must be consistent, clear, and concise. You are trying to send a cohesive message to the evaluation committee that your team demonstrates the required skills and experience to carry out the work.

Consistent Format

Hands up who is guilty of just chucking the CVs in an appendix that your staff has sent you when they applied for their job? It’s a CV after all isn’t it? There are several problems with this practice.

1. Individual staff resumes are formatted differently which are not consistent with your branding and the professional image you want to portray.
2. They list irrelevant things like hobbies, personal objectives, and your team member’s work history right back to that McDonald’s job they had when they were at school!
3. They are unlikely to show the evaluator what kind of work your team has been doing that is relevant to what they will deliver under this contract.

Establish a CV template for tender submission and use it for all your team members.

Easy To Read

Your tender needs to stand out from your competitors, which is why clear, concise communication is a must.

Like all other areas of your tender response, your CVs should help the evaluators quickly understand your strengths and have confidence in your offer.

Instead of giving 30 years of career history, focus on relevant achievements and outcomes. Detail how your team members are uniquely qualified because they have done work like this before. Show how they helped solve challenges for other customers and achieved better results through effective actions.

High-quality CVs are so important if you are selling the skills of your team – showcase your team’s experience include testimonials and examples of relevant experience.

Company Branding Your CV

Maintaining a cohesive look and feel to your staff CVs elevates your bid submission and looks more professional. Present your CVs on a common template with your company’s brand theme and colours.

I’d recommend including headshots of your team members too. Some ideas:

• Organise a headshot day with a professional photographer, or
• Advise staff to come prepared one day for a photo and take shots with a phone
• Wear your company uniform or PPE and take shots at your worksite
• Use company signage or vehicles as a backdrop

Get Tender Advice CV Profile Template

Want to get a jumpstart and need a tender CV template?

Download my CV profile template at Tender Advice. It’s simple and effective, including a short profile for the body of the tender as well as a longer CV format if you are asked to attach a CV. Get this ready ahead of time and you will save valuable hours in the tender process.

Happy tendering!

Rebecca