How many times have you heard yourself or others say that you start looking for a new job once you have got your CV together – and then weeks and months later you still haven’t made that first step towards your brand new career.
A CV doesn’t have to be hard to create – they don’t have to be time-consuming and they don’t have to be intimidating. Quite simply a CV is a one or two-page summary of your life and employment history.
Presenting yourself
A CV presents you to prospective employers. It is your sales document. It serves as your introduction. It may get you an interview and it may not, it all depends on what that particular employer is looking for in a new employee. Do not depend on your CV to do your job search for you. It is merely one tool in a complete job search. Sending hundreds of CV’s out and expecting calls for interviews to come pouring back will get you nowhere. Even if your CV does get you an interview it won’t necessarily get you the job.
There are many reasons to have a CV. Employers ask for them so why not be prepared? CV’s help structure your communication, it should clarify your job objective, identify your skills, education and work experience and your accomplishments.
By putting a CV together, you will be better prepared for interviews because you have already established your goals and skill set. Also a well-done CV creates a handy reference piece for potential employers.
Putting a CV together shouldn’t be difficult. Most simple ones can be created in a very short space of time. When you have more time, you can always go back to your CV and make it more sophisticated. After learning the purpose of a CV you should realise that your job search should not be put on hold because you have yet to create your perfect CV – remember it’s your aim to get a perfect job.
CV types
There are several CV types – chronological, functional, combination and skills-based.
If you only have a short timeframe before the closing date, either the chronological or skills CV format are the easiest to compose.
The main feature of a chronological CV is to list the jobs you’ve held in reverse order of most recent to least recent. That way a prospective employer or recruitment agency can see exactly what role you have now, rather than having to search through your CV. A skills CV groups your experiences under major skills areas.
A chronological CV is best for people who have several years of experience in the same type of role they are seeking now. For example, a mortgage adviser with years of experience wanting to become a sales manager or a paraplanner looking to relocate should use a chronological CV to highlight their work history.
The major sections should include your name, address, contact numbers, email address, strong personal statement, career summary (current employer first), education, training, hobbies and any personal information you find relevant to the job position you are seeking.
The skills CV is better suited for those looking to change careers, for example, a mortgage underwriter wanting to become a business developer. It should emphasise your transferable skills and play down previous titles, therefore describing your skill set as it pertains to your job objective.
Once you have decided the purpose of your CV and decide what type you need to develop, it should be fairly simple. Consider your past experience, think about what you like, what you are good at and create a CV that highlights your abilities and show why you stand out.
Get it done and I look forward to seeing it.
