How to Get Past the Robots and Get Your CV Seen

How to Get Past the Robots and Get Your CV Seen

Before a human even glances at your job application, chances are it’s already been scanned, sorted, and—if it doesn’t tick the right boxes—discarded by a machine.

It’s not personal. It’s just how recruitment works now.

Most employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sift through CVs before a real person sees them. These systems are designed to spot relevant experience and filter out anything that doesn’t match up. It’s efficient, but it also means a strong candidate can get overlooked if their CV isn’t ATS-friendly. Here’s how to make sure yours makes it through.

Speak the Same Language

An ATS isn’t reading your CV like a human would. It’s scanning for keywords—specific skills, qualifications, and experience pulled straight from the job description. If a role asks for “major donor fundraising experience” and your CV says you’ve “raised significant funds for charity,” the system might not connect the dots.

Use the exact terms from the job advert where you can. If the role specifies “CRM experience,” be clear about which systems you’ve used—Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, whatever applies. And while a quirky CV layout might catch a hiring manager’s eye, ATS software isn’t impressed. Stick to standard section headings like “Work Experience,” “Education,” and “Key Skills” so nothing important gets lost in translation.

Keep It Clean and Simple

A well-designed CV might stand out to a human, but to an ATS, too much formatting is a problem. Fancy fonts, graphics, tables, and text boxes can make key information unreadable. Even headers and footers can trip up some systems.

The safest option? A straightforward, well-structured Word document—unless the job posting specifically asks for a PDF. And double-check your spelling. A recruiter might overlook a typo, but an ATS won’t.

Get the Balance Right

Yes, your CV needs to be optimised for ATS software, but don’t forget the real audience: the hiring manager. A document crammed with repeated keywords will feel clunky when it finally reaches a human. The key is balance—include the right phrases without making it read like you’re gaming the system.

There’s no magic formula, but a clear, well-written CV that speaks the same language as the job description will give you the best chance of making it past the robots and onto a hiring manager’s desk. And that’s the whole point, isn’t it?

Need a second opinion on your CV? We can help.

📞 Call us: 0203 880 6655
📧 Email us: contactus@fern.com

Imposter syndrome: How to tame your inner critic

Do you doubt your ability to do your job, despite glowing feedback from your boss? Do you feel uncomfortable when people praise your work? Do you hold yourself to impossibly high standards?

You could be suffering from imposter syndrome.

What is imposter syndrome?

People with imposter syndrome experience chronic feelings of inadequacy and incompetence, despite evidence to the contrary. Often seen in high-achieving individuals, the phenomenon is thought to be fuelled by perfectionism and a fear of failure.

Although imposter syndrome can come into play in all areas of life, it's especially common in the workplace. In fact, it affects 3 in 5 workers in the UK.

Here are 4 signs you might have it:

1. You perceive yourself as unworthy of your position: You fear being “found out” by your boss or co-workers or have the sense that you’re fooling people by only ‘seeming’ to do a good job.

2. You're unable to accept praise or compliments: You never think your work is good enough, even when everyone else says it’s great. Every time you receive praise, your inner critic is speaking so loudly, that the compliments fail to register.

3. You’re riddled with self-doubt: You turn down opportunities to lead on projects/take on more responsibility as you doubt your capabilities.

4. You hold yourself to impossibly high standards: You find the fear of failure paralysing.

Although imposter syndrome is not a diagnosable mental illness, the negative thoughts and feelings associated with it can fuel a vicious cycle of anxiety, depression, and guilt.

Cognitive Distortion

Imposter feelings are often fuelled by cognitive distortions (exaggerated or irrational thought patterns that cause us to perceive reality inaccurately).

Here are four common cognitive distortions. Do any of them resonate with you?

• All-or-nothing: Also known as polarised thinking, this distortion occurs when people think in extremes. If a situation falls short of perfect, you see it as a total failure.

If your boss says you didn’t meet expectations in one area of your performance review, you label yourself as a failure at your job. There’s no room for nuance – there can’t be parts of your job you’re great at and areas that need improvement. In your eyes, you’re a failure.

• Mental filtering: You magnify the negative details of a situation while filtering out the positives.

This bias for dwelling on your shortcomings leads you to focus on the one piece of negative feedback you got on your job interview while disregarding the ten positive comments. 

• Overgeneralisation: You view one negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

You once got nervous and stumbled your way through a speech at a fundraising event. As a result, your belief is "I always screw up speeches. I will never be able to speak publicly without messing up."

• Discounting the positive: You don’t take credit for things you’ve earned or achieved.

Your boss raves about a grant application you’ve spent ages on. You downplay the praise by telling yourself it was ‘nothing special’, or ‘anyone else could have done it just as well’.

Cognitive Restructuring

The key to overcoming cognitive distortion is learning how to identify, challenge, and reframe your thoughts. You can do this using cognitive restructuring (a series of therapeutic techniques that help people notice and change their negative thinking patterns.)

Step one: Identify your thoughts

The first step toward fixing imposter syndrome is to identify your cognitive distortions.

When a thought pops into your head that’s destructive or irrational, make a note of the situation that led to you having the thought and how it made you feel.

Step two: Question your assumptions

The next step is to challenge the thought and your assumptions about it.

Socratic Questioning can help you do this. The technique involves posing philosophical questions to challenge your beliefs and thoughts. For example, by asking yourself, “What evidence supports my belief?” or “How might another person view this situation differently?” you can analyse your thought patterns and make necessary adjustments.

Tip: This Cognitive Restructuring Worksheet is a handy tool you can use to analyse, evaluate and diffuse your distorted thoughts.

Step 3: Generate alternatives 

Come up with rational and positive alternatives to replace the distorted thought.

For example, if a group of colleagues stop talking when you walk into a room, instead of assuming they were talking about how bad you are at your job, consider other explanations i.e., maybe their conversation came to a natural end as you walked in …

Positive affirmations can also help i.e., remind yourself that you make valuable, positive contributions at work, and your colleagues always include you in what’s going on. 

Final Word

If left unaddressed, imposter syndrome can limit your career potential and damage your mental health and career. Instead of beating yourself up and getting lost in negative thoughts, use these strategies to nip your imposter thoughts in the bud and realise how awesome you are.

Looking for a fundraising role? Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 to chat through options.

Level up your social media fundraising with TikTok’s Charity Academy

According to the latest Charity Digital Skills Report, 4 out of 5 charities lack social media skills, and 79% say improving their digital presence is a key priority for 2024.

Are your digital skills up to scratch? If not, sign up for TikTok’s Charity Academy.

Touted as the platform’s ‘biggest charity sector training initiative to date’, the short-form video hosting service has partnered with Media Trust to offer 100 charities three weeks of complementary training to help them use the platform to reach new audiences and drive positive change.

That’s right. the training is free. No dancing or random pointing is required.

Before we dive into what the Academy offers, let’s look at the benefits of TikTok for charities.

• TikTok has just over 1.5 billion monthly active users. That’s a lot of potential eyeballs on your cause.

• With an average engagement rate of 2.65%, TikTok has the highest engagement rate of all the social media platforms.

• Research has shown that people retain 95% of the information contained in a video compared to 10% of the same information in text format. TikTok is video-led format, making it an ideal way to share your message.

• You can put a 'donate sticker' on your videos and live streams to encourage viewers to donate. And they can do so while remaining in the app.

• A large majority of TikTokers are between the ages of 18 - 34 (the demographic most likely to give to charity, according to Third Sector)

What’s the Academy offering?

That’s a quick primer on TikTok. But how will you benefit from joining the Academy?

First off, Media Trust will be host weekly live, practical training sessions every Tuesday and Thursday (10-11.30 am) between July 1-19.

In addition to content creation strategies, engagement techniques, and best practice advice for maximising your presence on the app, the sessions will teach you how to:

• optimise your TikTok profile 

• identify your target audience

• create a successful TikTok strategy 

• use platform features such as LIVE, TikTok sounds, filters, duets and stitch 

• edit content with CapCut

• reach new audiences with digital storytelling

• utilise analytics 

• integrate TikTok into your wider digital comms strategy

You’ll also get:

• access to pre-training support, helping you set up your TikTok account.

• expert led TikTok exercises and content activities to embed your learning.

• personalised feedback on the content you create from trainers who know how to use TikTok as a tool for social good.  

Sound good?

If you meet the following criteria, apply here.

• are you a registered charity in the UK?

• do you have buy-in from senior management to be active on TikTok?

• Does your charity have resources to implement the training?

As places are limited, TikTok is offering one place per charity. And to get the most from the training, they require the same participant to attend all the sessions.

Looking for a digital fundraiser to supercharge your TikTok activity? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the ball rolling.

The benefits of a diverse fundraising team

Diversity isn’t a new concept. The UK introduced the Race Relations Act in 1968 and the Equalities Act in 2010.

But the charity sector has only started embracing it in the last decade.

This is largely due to the influence of social justice movements like #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, and Time’s Up.

Campaigns like these have exposed the inequalities that exist in society, demanded accountability, and fuelled a drive for change.

As a result, equality, inclusion, and diversity (DEI) have been put firmly under the spotlight.

What is diversity?

Diversity refers to the characteristics, experiences, and other distinctions that make one person different from another. It encompasses everything, from our cognitive skills and personality traits to the things that shape our identity, including race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and cultural background.

Workplace diversity refers to the intentional practice of building a heterogeneous workforce by hiring and promoting people with different characteristics, from a wide range of backgrounds.

Diversity in the third sector

While the charity sector has stepped up efforts to address the diversity gap in recent years, there’s still work to be done. This is evident from a report by NCVO.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• The charity sector workforce is mostly (90%) white. At 10%, ethnic diversity is lower than in both the public sector (14%) and private sector (13%).

• Women and older people are well-represented. Women make up two-thirds of the workforce. And one in four staff is aged 55 and above.

• Just over 1 in 5 (23%) of workers identify as disabled.

Why is a diverse fundraising team important?

It’s the right thing to do. But over and above this, diversity has tangible benefits:

1.      Greater understanding of beneficiaries and donors

51% of the UK population is female, 16 million people have a disability or long-term health condition, 24% are aged 60 and over, and nearly 18% are from an ethnic minority.

What does this tell us? Your stakeholders are diverse.

To fully understand the challenges beneficiaries face, and establish meaningful relationships with donors, fundraisers need to reflect that diversity.

2.      Increased creativity and innovation

Put a homogeneous group of people together to work on a fundraising campaign, and they’ll generate similar ideas.

As Kenroi Consulting explains, ‘a homogeneous group, by its very nature, is tied together by the similarity of its characteristics’, which limits the scope for creativity and innovative thinking.’

On the flip side, a team composed of people with different upbringings, values, and life experiences will bring fresh perspectives to the table.

As per this Media Frenzy Global article, ‘a unique blend of working styles and ideas allow for more successful brainstorms and insightful feedback. Team members can play off each other’s strengths, and each brings a unique set of skills to the table.’

3.      Better retention rates

Embracing a diverse workforce is about building a welcoming, accepting environment and providing equal opportunities for all.

Staff who feel accepted and valued are more likely to stay with their employer. In fact, a Gartner study found that employees at organisations with high levels of diversity are 20% more likely to stick around.

Increasing diversity

Those are just a few of the many reasons to get on board with diversity.

But how can you make your fundraising team more diverse?

Review your hiring practices

A diverse fundraising workforce requires an inclusive recruitment process.

Here are a few tips:

·        Make sure your job ads are inclusive

·        Add a diversity statement to recruitment materials highlighting your commitment to an inclusive work environment.

·        Remove unnecessary obstacles in the recruitment process to improve accessibility.

·        Review CVs blind to reduce unconscious bias.

·        Seek out qualified candidates from underrepresented backgrounds by advertising on platforms like Evenbreak.

·        Offer reasonable adjustments at interviews.

·        Make flexible working the default. It’ll open up opportunities to working parents, disabled people, carers, and international candidates.

Prioritise diversity training

Attracting diverse talent is only half the battle. The other half is retaining it. One of the unique challenges of building a diverse team is the potential for conflict.

As this article by Parris Consulting explains, ‘wherever diversity exists, be it a mix of cultures, generations, work styles or personalities, conflict has the potential to arise’.

Whether it’s due to cultural misunderstandings, unconscious bias, stereotyping, or communication barriers, conflict is not conducive to a happy, healthy workforce.

This is where diversity training comes in. An important part of the diversity puzzle, training is a sure-fire way to ensure employees:

• are aware of diversity issues in the workplace.

• appreciate the differences among co-workers.

• understand how unconscious bias can impact their interactions with colleagues and clients.

• are equipped with the skills to interact, collaborate, and work together effectively.

However, diversity training isn’t only essential for employees. Diversity starts at the top.

As Gusto says in a blog post, ‘fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requires the active commitment and support of senior leadership’.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion training will ensure your head honchos are:

• equipped with the tools and skills to manage diverse teams.

• able to prevent and resolve diversity-related conflicts.

• implementing best practices when it comes to hiring, managing performance, and providing equal learning opportunities.

• nurturing an environment where diverse talent can thrive and grow.

We can help you build a diverse fundraising team. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the conversation started.

Charity Commission launches Trustee Quiz

Back in November 2020, the Charity Commission published a series of bite-sized guides for trustees. They were designed to support trustees as they manage the demands of running a charity.

The guides, listed below, cover the basics of charity governance that all trustees should be familiar with.

• Delivering purpose – advice on how to use your charity’s governing document, how to deliver on your charity’s purposes, and the law. 

• Managing finances – advice on how to ensure your charity’s money is safe, properly used, and accounted for.

• Conflicts of interest – advice on how to identify and deal with conflicts of interest in your charity.

• Making decisions – advice on how to make valid trustee decisions that are in your charity’s best interests

• Reporting information –advice on how and what you need to report to the Commission.

• Safeguarding people – advice on your responsibilities to keep everyone who comes into contact with your charity safe from harm.

• Political activity & campaigning – advice for charities that want to support, or oppose, a change in government policy or the law.

Trustee campaign

In March 2021, the regulator launched a trustee campaign to promote the 5-minute guides.

It published five animated adverts that prompted trustees to consider their understanding of key responsibilities by posing questions connected to each guide.

Next phase

Last month, the Commission launched the next phase of the campaign - a Trustee Quiz, which enables trustees to test their knowledge of their duties and responsibilities.

The quiz consists of a series of multiple-choice questions based on everyday scenarios that trustees may encounter at their charity and covers a range of topics, such as conflicts of interest and safeguarding.

It takes around three minutes to complete, and feedback is provided for each question.

Users are sign-posted to user-friendly resources, including the Commission’s suite of 5-minute guides to strengthen their knowledge.

Research findings

The quiz was launched in response to the findings of the Charity Commission’s 2022 Charity Trustee Research.

The research found that around 98% of trustees feel ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ confident in managing or governing their charity, but when questioned on basic role requirements, on average, trustees answered just 7 out of 10 questions correctly - demonstrating a knowledge gap that could lead to unintentional governance failings.

Knowledge gaps were identified in the following areas:

• Navigating regulations

• Charity paperwork

• Finances

• Delegating responsibility

Upskilling

The quiz is intended to encourage trustees to think again about what they know and inspire upskilling, by revisiting the guides and reaching out to the commission for guidance.

Paul Latham, Director of Communications and Policy at the Charity Commission, commented:

“The 700,000 trustees in England and Wales provide a vital service, not just to their individual charity, but to society more widely.

As regulator, we have an important role in supporting them to do the best job possible, ensuring they have the resources they need to fulfill their legal duties and responsibilities with confidence. Our trustee campaign aims to do just that, engaging trustees with thought-provoking content, and encouraging them to reflect on their skills and knowledge and whether there are any gaps in their awareness that our guidance can help fill.

We encourage all trustees to take our new quiz – it’s quick and designed to be fun, but it will also help you assess your own knowledge and take action to address any areas in which you might need more support or learning.”

Looking for a new trustee with fundraising expertise? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the process started.