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Got an Interview. Successful or not successful depends
on how good is your CV.Let me explain to you the ‘how
to’ guide to write your professional CV.
Most people are aware of the standard professional
CV build: Personal profiles, career objectives, employment
history, qualifications, contact details – but
which key ingredients impress employers and win a
place on their interview shortlist? Have you ever
asked this questions?
“Before you start to write your professional
CV, write down your 10 greatest achievements,and
10 Key Skills ” [please refer to our a to z
Key
Skills
section
if you need any help ]“This should help you
get in the right mindset, which is a marketing mindset.
Your achievements demonstrate your proven abilities
and what you have to offer. You’re a product
being sold to a company, and the goal of your professional
CV is to communicate what you can do for them. By
considering your achievements first, you won’t
fall into the trap of describing your skills without
offering evidence to substantiate them.” Do
you agree with me ?
I have seen many clients and many jobseekers know
the basics of how to write a CV, but they don’t
build a professional CV that’s a real killer.
Linking key skills and abilities with real-life achievements
when you write your CV, such as awards or work successes,
is a sure-fire way to impress, according to the employers
I spoke to. “It’s important that everything
you say about yourself on your CV is supported by
concrete evidence. Try to give an example.
“So when you describe your key skills and abilities,
make sure you back up these claims.{Bring along certificates
or awards with you when you attend an Interview ]Your
professional CV is the only thing potential employers
will know about you before they meet you in person,
so it has to be convincing and sell you strongly.”
And how not to write a CV?
One of the things employers tell me quite often they
hate the most is CV jargon, which loosely means describing
yourself as ‘a highly dedicated worker, with
excellent attention to detail’ without giving
any real life examples of how you’ve already
demonstrated these abilities. Always make sure you
back up your claims with hard evidence.
Tailor your professional CV to fit your employer.
You should never send an ‘identikit’ version
to multiple employers by email. Recruiters really
object to being spammed by cut and paste CVs. Instead,
find out as much as you can about what your recruiters
want from your professional CV beforehand. Employers
can be very subjective in their preferences, even
if they don’t realise it.
Almost every employer I spoke to emphasised the need
to keep a professional CV as short as possible: no
more than two pages long, with plenty of white space
and a good font size. A ‘stuffed’ looking
CV was rated as very unappealing by employers and
a warning sign that the potential employee can’t
prioritise.
Your goal is to communicate clearly and quickly that
you’re right for the job, and this means keeping
text to a minimum. “Your professional CV is
a document that must be inviting to read.
Essential items are clear, accurate contact details
(including your email address) at the top of each
page of your professional CV, details of previous
employment and your qualifications.
Good
presentation is very important. “You should
use plain, white A4 paper and a standard font such
as Times New Roman or Arial. “Absolutely no,
shall I say, ‘artistic’ fonts.”[Only
if you apply for Graphhic designing jobs ]Also proof
read, double-check and triple-check for errors. Before
you dismiss this as an obvious point you would be
amazed how many ‘professional’ CVs employers
receive with typos and spelling mistakes.
According to a nationwide survey carried out by the
Recruitment & Employment Confederation, 47% said
that out of all the professional CVs they received,
over half (50%) contained grammatical errors, with
the worst offenders in the 21-25 year-old age group.
For a recruiter with a mountain of professional CVs
to work through, even one little error is a welcome
reason to file an application in the pile marked ‘dustbin’.
Stand out from the crowd. If your research indicates
your recruiter may favour a creative approach, don’t
be afraid to be different. With three hundred black
and white two-page CVs to get through, a cleverly
creative approach can brighten an employer’s
day. Examples which have made it through the door
include a standard, professional CV coupled with a
doll of the potential employee marketed as a super-hero
with their employable qualities written on the box.
Whilst one creative applicant seeking work with an
events company put together an ‘invitation’
to employ her, complete with party poppers and streamers.
Perhaps most importantly, get a second opinion. “It’s
a good idea to get a professional to look over your
CV once it’s finished. A professional CV is
not about cutting corners, get advice and take the
time to do it properly.” and that is why they
are called Professional CVs.
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