I’ve been doing a lot of work recently with clients and updating their CV’s and it’s amazing how much they have changed over recent years.
Here are a few pointers to knowing whether you need to update your CV
- It should be 2 sides of A4, with the first page being the most important. Remember that every word counts!
- Your key skills should be identified. Technical skills can be taught, but softer skills such as communication, persuasion skills or problem solving abilities are much more difficult and take longer to learn.
- Identify your key achievements in a job not what you did or were responsible for.
Do you have these things in 2 sides of A4, if not, your CV might be holding you back.
Here is a recent case study
Client X was referred to me because they needed help with their CV. I asked for a copy, it was 4 pages long and was a long list of all the jobs the client had done and what they had done. They were hoping to change vocations but there was nothing in the CV to help the recruiter see what sort of person they were and what skills they could bring to the job. It was a boring read!
We worked on the CV together, identifying key transferable skills and what the client had achieved in each of their most recent jobs. Lots of jobs went into the earlier career section. The client was thrilled with the CV and started to apply for jobs that very afternoon.
They contacted me the next day and said they had secured an interview and the interviewer had said that the job they applied for was too entry level and they were being interviewed for a more senior position. Not only that it was more than double the salary they had been aiming for. Imagine hearing that news, my client was thrilled!
What did this client learn from this?
- We under estimate our own experience, knowledge and skills and do not see them until someone points them out – maybe it’s confidence, maybe we just hate talking about ourselves?
- The client had been applying for jobs that were beneath their experience, skills and knowledge levels and they now knew what level they should be aiming for.
- Less is more with a CV!
- It is important to get the latest advice when returning to the job market regarding CV’s and applying for jobs, as things constantly change and evolve.
- A £65 investment could result in thousands added to their salary.
This will not happen for everyone but it shows the power of a well written CV. Are you confident yours is as good as it could be or could you be under selling yourself? Find out more Contact Us – JM Professional and Career Coaching Services
Have to complete an application form rather than sending in a CV? Get some insight into what employers are looking for;
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ybk1qkbpnwyf4s/Job%20applications%20from%20an%20employers%20point%20of%20view.pdf?dl=0
