Hopefully Useful Advice for CVs and Job Applications

My working life for the past 15 years has been as a self employed recruitment consultant. 

I’ve operated at all levels in the temporary and permanent markets and for sometime now have ‘headhunted’ senior level executives in a niche market in the UK and internationally. 

The job market today is without doubt the most challenging I have seen in all of that time.  Companies are still recruiting, however, competition for every position is tough.  

I am asked on a regular basis what to do just to get an interview for a position.  In the current climate, this is the advice I give to all of my candidates, whether I can place them in a new role or not.

Your CV/Resume

It all starts with the CV (curriculum vitae)/resume.  Presentation is key. My advice is keep it to a maximum of two A4 pages with the layout as follows.

Contact Details

Include your name, address and contact details at the top of the first sheet.

Profile

Follow this with a brief summary of your key skills, for example:-  

‘An articulate and highly motivated individual with a demonstrated track record of achieving results with training businesses.  A committed and energetic team player, accustomed to working under pressure and able to use own initiative.  Exemplary communication, negotiation and influencing skills’. 

Career History

List each position held, starting with the most recent so potential employers can see your most recent role immediately as this will normally have the most relevance to a job application.

Include your responsibilities and, most importantly, your achievements.  Employers are especially interested in what you have achieved. for example:-

Regional Executive

Reporting to the Operations Manager with responsibility for 5 outlets across the region. My role focuses on supporting outlets in all aspects of their business.

Key achievements

·           Delivered 6.3% growth in sales across the territory in the first quarter of the year.

·           Developed new reporting documentation adapted throughout the company.

·           Introduced a new marketing campaign to raise brand awareness which resulted in a 1% direct increasein restaurant visitors

Adapt a similar style for each position covering the last 5 to 10 years depending on how many positions you have been in during that time.  Roles prior to that can be summarised with the name of the company and the job title.

If This is Your First Position

If you have not worked before, perhaps you can use examples of projects at college or university or work placements for achievements, something that will make you stand out, even voluntary or charity work.

Explain any career gaps

If you’ve taken time out for personal reasons - a gap year, illness, family issues – be upfront.  Unexplained gaps on CVs make HR departments suspicious and you can be ejected from the recruitment process before it’s begun.

Explain why you left. 

If you’ve only stayed up to 2 years in roles, make sure you have a viable reason for leaving, employers want people who are going to commit to the company.  If it was for personal reasons or maybe you were made redundant a few times, that’s understandable.  Everyone makes mistakes too, perhaps you took a role that turned out to be unsuitable very quickly, again, that’s fine.  Whatever the reason, be honest.

Qualifications

This really depends on the position you are looking for.   Academic posts rely on the appropriate qualifications so doctors, accountants and so on should list their qualifications first.   Otherwise it’s fine to list qualifications on the final page.   Don’t forget to include education, professional training and any languages.

Hobbies and Interests

Whilst not going over the top, these do give a flavour of who you are, perhaps you’ve completed a triathalon for charity for example or have a specialist interest outside the norm.

References 

It is important to have names of two referees in mind as all employers and most recruitment consultants will carry out background checks to verify your achievements and your character. These can be your either your colleagues or your immediate boss and will normally be business references.   Good references can help you stand out from the crowd.

CV Summary

Your CV should be a maximum of two A4 sheets presented as follows:-

- your contact details

- a profile summary

- career history in chronological order starting with your most recent role (don’t forget your achievements)

- qualifications (depending on the role this could precede your career history)

- references

- hobbies and interests

.. and don’t forget to spell check! 

Image via Wikipedia

What Next?

Applying for a Position

Employers can afford to be selective at the moment.  

If you can, stay within your field it will be easier to be selected for an interview.  If you have always worked in hospitality or fast food for example try and stay in that sector.  If you work in property or finance say (or recruitment…..) that’s going to be hard.  Utilise your transferable skills and achievements to explain why you think you are suitable for the role you are applying for, for example, sales achievements, marketing expertise and so on.   

Always use a covering letter or e-mail detailing what position you are applying for.  If you are writing in ‘on spec’ make sure you find out the most appropriate person to send it to – it normally only takes a telephone call or a search on the internet - and briefly highlight your achievements on the covering letter.

Where To Find Vacancies

In the UK we have websites such as Monster, Totaljobs, Reed, Jobsite to name but a few.   Check your local press regularly, use your network, tell everyone you know that you are looking for work.  A candidate of mine got a position in a home delivery business by doing just that.  

The following articles by B C Doan are particularly useful for US readers:-

- What to Do After You Lose Your Job

- Jobs Opportunities  

Try a Recruiter/Employment Agency

The majority of positions are not advertised.  They are filled through referral or through employment businesses.   Companies still use recruiters as it saves them time sifting through hundreds of CVs.

Many recruiters are inundated at the moment but that shouldn’t mean that they can’t treat you like real people rather than a number.  To avoid those types of agencies I recommend using one that specialises in your industry rather than a generalist, unless you are looking for casual work.   Ask your friends and colleagues if they can recommend a good recruiter or if you have had a positive experience with one, share it.  

After Applying

Try following up with a telephone call or letter after a week – or after a specified closing date – to see how your application is progressing.  If you don’t get an interview see if you can get feedback as to why, it can be helpful.   If your application is via an employment agency they should update you throughout the process. 

In Closing

I hope this helps.  There’s no quick fix at the minute and I am dealing with people who are losing their jobs far more frequently than before, however, companies are still recruiting so please don’t give up.

Good luck - and if anyone has any tips or helpful experiences please share them with us.