Right then, data wizards...let's talk about CVs that actually compute in 2025.
At Forward Role, we've been placing brilliant data professionals across the globe, from graduate analysts to principal data scientists. And we've noticed something interesting: the CVs that land interviews aren't just technically impressive, they're strategically crafted for how hiring managers actually think.
So let's dive into what's genuinely working for our successful candidates...
1. Your GitHub is Your New CV (But Your CV Still Matters)
Let's be honest, in the data world, your code speaks louder than your words. But here's the thing: most hiring managers still start with your CV, then many will dive into your GitHub. You need both to work together brilliantly.
What we're seeing work:
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Project-focused CV sections: Instead of just listing job duties, highlight 2-3 key projects per role with links to your GitHub repos
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Technical storytelling: For example - 'Built recommendation engine using collaborative filtering, increasing user engagement by 34% (see GitHub)'
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End-to-end thinking: Show the full pipeline from data collection to business impact, not just the modelling bit
The Forward Role approach: Your CV should be a greatest hits album that makes hiring managers want to explore your technical portfolio. Think of it as the trailer that gets them excited about the full film.
2. Business Impact Beats Technical Complexity Every Time
What we are finding is that the data professionals landing the best roles aren't necessarily the ones with the most complex models, they're the ones who can clearly articulate business value.
Examples of showing business impact in 2025:
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Revenue focus: 'Developed customer churn prediction model that retained £2.3M in annual revenue'
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Operational efficiency: 'Automated reporting pipeline, reducing manual work by 15 hours weekly and eliminating human error'
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Strategic insights: 'Identified market opportunity through customer segmentation analysis, leading to new product line generating £500K in first quarter'
Don't just say you built a model, explain what problem it solved and what happened as a result.
3. MLOps and Production Skills Are Non-Negotiable
This one's huge, in 2025, hiring managers want to see you can take models from concept to production.
Essential skills that are trending:
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Deployment experience: Docker, Kubernetes, cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure)
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Model monitoring: MLflow, Weights & Biases, or custom monitoring solutions
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CI/CD for ML: GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or similar for automated testing and deployment
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Data infrastructure: Apache Airflow, dbt, or similar for data pipeline management
4. Domain Expertise + Data Skills = Career Gold
Here's our favourite trend, the most successful data professionals aren't just great at Python and SQL, they understand their industry deeply.
What we're seeing succeed:
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Financial data experts: Knowledge of risk models, regulatory compliance, and trading systems
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E-commerce data pros: Understanding of customer journey, attribution models, and growth metrics
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Marketing Analysts: Highlighting how data is vital in making key strategic marketing & business descisions, executing effective & targeted campaigns, AI and the evolving industry.
Companies aren't just hiring data scientists anymore, they're hiring "data scientists who understand fintech" or "data analysts who get e-commerce." The combination is incredibly powerful.
5. Communication Skills Through Technical Lens
This is where many brilliant technical people stumble. You need to show you can explain complex concepts to non-techy stakeholders and your CV is the perfect place to start.
Examples of communicating to business leaders:
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Executive summary translations: 'Reduced customer acquisition costs by 23% through predictive lead scoring model'
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Stakeholder collaboration: 'Worked with product team to define metrics framework, resulting in 40% faster feature iteration'
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Technical leadership: 'Led data science guild of 8 analysts, establishing best practices that reduced project delivery time by 30%'
The Data Opportunity Right Now
The data job market is absolutely on fire. According to ONS data, demand for data professionals continues to surge across all sectors. We're seeing incredible demand across all levels, from data analysts starting their careers to data leaders ready to transform organisations.
But here's what's interesting, the roles are getting more specialised and more strategic, companies want data professionals who can drive real business outcomes, not just wrangle data.
Quick wins for your data CV:
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Lead with business impact, support with technical details
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Show your full stack, from data collection to model deployment
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Include links to your best GitHub projects and technical portfolio
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Demonstrate both technical depth and business understanding
Ready to Analyse Your Next Career Move?
These trends are just the beginning. At Forward Role, we work with the UK's most data-driven companies, from AI startups to established brands embarking on digital transformation. We know exactly what they're looking for because we're constantly talking to heads of data, chief data officers, and data science managers.
Whether you're a data analyst ready to step into a senior role, a data scientist looking for your next challenge, or a data leader seeking to make your next strategic move, we've got the insights and connections to help you succeed.
Our data recruitment specialists would love to help you navigate the opportunities out there and find a role that truly matches your ambitions, get in touch today!
