How to Write a Successful CV

What is a CV?

Curriculum Vitae: an outline of a person’s educational and professional history, usually prepared for job applications (L, lit.: the course of one’s life). Another name for a CV is a résumé.

A CV is the most flexible and convenient way to make applications. It conveys your personal details in the way that presents you in the best possible light. A CV is a marketing document in which you are marketing something: yourself! You need to “sell” your skills, abilities, qualifications and experience to employers. It can be used to make multiple applications to employers in a specific career area. For this reason, many large graduate recruiters will not accept CVs and instead use their own application form.

Often selectors read CVs outside working hours. They may have a pile of 50 CVs from which to select five interviewees. It’s evening and they would rather be in the pub with friends. If your CV is hard work to read: unclear, badly laid out and containing irrelevant information, they will just just move on to the next CV. Treat the selector like a child eating a meal. Chop your CV up into easily digestible morsels (bullets, short paragraphs and note form) and give it a clear logical layout, with just the relevant information to make it easy for the selector to read. If you do this, you will have a much greater chance of interview.

An application form is designed to bring out the essential information and personal qualities that the employer requires and does not allow you to gloss over your weaker points as a CV does. In addition, the time needed to fill out these forms is seen as a reflection of your commitment to the career.

There is no “one best way” to construct a CV; it is your document and can be structured as you wish within the basic framework below. It can be on paper or on-line or even on a T-shirt (a gimmicky approach that might work for “creative” jobs but not generally advised!).

When should a CV be used?

• When an employer asks for applications to be received in this format
• When an employer simply states “apply to …” without specifying the format
• When making speculative applications (when writing to an employer who has not advertised a vacancy but who you hope my have one)

What information should a CV include?

Personal details

Normally these would be your name, address, date of birth (although with age discrimination laws now in force this isn’t essential), telephone number and email.

Education and qualifications

Some employers may spend as little as 45 seconds skimming a résumé before branding it “not of interest”, “maybe” or “of interest. BI Business School

Your degree subject and university, plus A levels and GCSEs or equivalents. Mention grades unless poor!

Work experience

• Use action words such as developed, planned and organised.
• Even work in a shop, bar or restaurant will involve working in a team, providing a quality service to customers, and dealing tactfully with complaints. Don’t mention the routine, non-people tasks (cleaning the tables) unless you are applying for a casual summer job in a restaurant or similar.
• Try to relate the skills to the job. A finance job will involve numeracy, analytical and problem solving skills so focus on these whereas for a marketing role you would place a bit more more emphasis on persuading and negotiating skills.
• “All of my work experiences have involved working within a team-based culture. This involved planning, organisation, co-ordination and commitment e.g., in retail, this ensured daily sales targets were met, a fair distribution of tasks and effective communication amongst all staff members.“

Approach Your Job Search Like a Salesman

by Maro Onokpise

Sales is one of, if not the hardest professions that you can ever get into.  I’m dating myself here, but I remember when I was a kid, we would get visited by the Encyclopedia salesman.

I know some reading this might be wondering what an encyclopedia is.  For the novice, it was basically an alphabetized bounded paper version of the internet.  Regardless of what line of sales you are in, it can be equal parts challenging and rewarding.

There are endless books on the topic of selling or how to become a better salesman.  As someone that’s worked in sales for a number of years, sales comes down to relationship building.  People buy from people they like.  As a job seeker you are always in sale or marketing mode.  What you’re selling is yourself and what you can bring to a potential employer.  If you haven’t worked in sales before, this is going to feel a little uncomfortable at first, but with a little practice and repetition you’ll get the hang of it.

Here’s how you can approach your job search like a salesman

Think Really Big

Whether you’re attending a job fair, interview or networking event, you have to approach each meeting confident that you are the one that they need.  You are the individual that is going to help them solve a problem that they have.  The best sales people are the ones that work closely with their customers to highlight pain points and offer solutions to help them.

Be a people person

The difference between the job seekers that land jobs quickly than anyone else is they have a knack of building rapport just as easy as taking their next breath.  Good salespeople go out of their way to know their clients.  They send a follow up email or call to check in once a week.  You can do the same thing.  Keep in mind that your rapport building are the building blocks to lead you to a job opportunity.  When you follow up with a potential employer, talk about anything else other than job opportunities.  You may be in sales mode, but it shouldn’t be overt. Be different.

Be honest

There are going to be instances along your job search where you’ll be asked a question that you may not feel comfortable answering.  Regardless of the answer, you should be 100% honest.  Being honest from the beginning will help you in the long run.  The trust that you build will be priceless as you establish yourself as a person of integrity.

Related Post: The Best Way to Answer “Yes” to Have you Ever Been Fired?

Sweat the small stuff 

Great sales people have the same drive and passion for all of their accounts regardless of how big or small they are.  Put the same emphasis and enthusiasm in ALL job opportunities that come your way.

Refuse to Lose

Go all out and make it difficult for a recruiter or hiring manager to turn you down for an opportunity.  You have to be aggressive and show the organization that not hiring you is a huge mistake.

Keep things loose and fun

Searching for a job or changing careers is hard enough as it is. Treat your job search like a sport and make sure that you are the best damn athlete on the field!  Then and only then will employers ask if you can play on their team.  The best athletes of our time seem to be having the most fun.  They make it look effortless.

Related Post: From Job Search to Employment in 10 Steps

Source: http://jobtrakr.com/2012/02/06/approach-your-job-search-like-a-salesman

How to Find a Job in One Day

By Lisa Johnson Mandell

“Just tell us how to get a job!” you’ve implored us at AOL Jobs, and we listened. We’re getting out the heavy artillery for you by posting the “One-Day Career Makeover” from the book ‘Career Comeback–Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want.’ It’s a makeover you can give yourself at home, so it costs very little, if anything — and you can do it no matter where you live. In just one day, it can put you head and shoulders above your competition.

Dare we say it? It can even be fun, if you do it right. This doesn’t have to be an expensive, laborious, months-long process: Everything can be completed in a lively eight hours, the equivalent of one normal work day. Recently, Kristen went from looking like a fun mom to a fund raiser in a matter of hours. This recently divorced mother of three needed to re-enter the working world fast, and in only one day she was ready.

“I hadn’t had a full time job outside the home in years–I was busy at home raising my kids,” she said. “Everything had changed 180 degrees since last time I looked for work. It’s overwhelming trying to figure out even where to start. This immediately got me going in the right direction.”

Kristen’s small son had recently battled cancer, and she decided she would like to work for a non-profit organization to help raise funds and comfort families. She needed to know how to incorporate her invaluable personal experience in her professional resume, how to use social networking to reach out to potential donors and sponsors and how to dress professionally to approach them in person. She was able to accomplish all of this and more in just one day.

Even if you already have a job, you might be worried about hanging onto it. Why not set aside a Saturday to give yourself this one-day career makeover, so you’ll be ready to start a job search if, god forbid, you get laid off. It never hurts to reconnect with old (and possibly influential friends) This is also a helpful exercise if you’re happily employed and seeking a promotion.

“Once I started suddenly dressing better for work and sharpening my image,” said Anne, who prefers not to give her full name so as not to tip her hand, “people thought I was going on interviews for other jobs. Within two weeks my bossed called me in, asked me if I was happy, and offered me a raise and a promotion–even in this economy! It was great!”

Who knows? Once you complete these steps, you just might wake up the next morning and find, waiting patiently in your e-mail box, a few job opportunities from employers who are looking for you!

Here’s your agenda:

8-10AM: Spend two hours producing a killer resume, highlighting your special skills and eliminating work experience that is irrelevant to the types of positions you’re currently seeking. You might want to create a few different resumes, if you’re applying for diverse jobs in different fields. See emurse.com for answers to all your resume questions, as well as resume templates and useful examples and tips.

10AM: Start the physical process. If you’re feeling flush, go for a blow dry if you’re a woman or a haircut and/or shave if you’re a man, at your favorite (budget) salon. If you’re watching your pennies, wash, dry and style your hair at home so you look your best

11AM: Women: Have your makeup done for free at the makeup counter in your favorite department store. You might want to at least buy a lip-gloss to thank them. If you’re doing the home-version of this makeover, carefully do your makeup in-house, as if you were going to an important event. Men: Take this time to shave and trim any unruly facial hair.

Noon: Select a fresh, hip, outfit from your closet. Make sure there are pops of color in it — no plain white shirts, or a boring cream shirt and black jacket combos. Feel free to use the news anchor’s trick of wearing a colorful shirt/top and/or tie with jeans or sweats underneath — you’re only going to be shooting head and shoulders. No big prints, and no busy backgrounds. It’s best to stand against a plain colored or brick wall, so no one will be able to tell where you are. Once you look your absolute best, have a friend, spouse, neighbor, whomever, snap several digital photos and download the best on your home computer.

1PM: Serve your photographer lunch — it’s the least you can do for his or her services. While you’re eating, have your photographer proof your resume. You should NEVER send it out without having at least one other person proof it.

2PM: Select an elegant business card template from one of the many free online providers like Vistaprint.com or Bizcard.com. Some sites will print the cards for you free — all you have to do is pay postage. You’ll want these cards to have your name, your e-mail address, and your phone number. No street address, and only include your profession or the position you’re seeking if you have something very specific in mind. Otherwise, leave it open.

3PM: Start your own blog so it will be easy for employers to find you online. Post that fabulous digital photo you just took and a professional profile using information from your new resume. Also, provide snippets, tips and teases from any online articles about your profession that you’ve read recently. Make sure you provide a link to the original article. A few sites that offer free blogs include blog.com, blogger.com and blogster.com.

4PM: Begin your social networking campaign. Post that flattering photo on LinkedIn.com, and fill in all the professional information that site allows you to. Remember to use the job title you’re seeking quite a few times, so that recruiters who are searching for people in your field can find you easily. Send connection requests to people who work for companies you admire. You can do the same thing on a professional Facebook page. If you already have a personal Facebook page, start a professional one that has no pix of your kids, pets or any references to Farmville or Mafia Wars, etc. Find connections and friends in alumni groups, former employer groups and special professional interest groups on these sites, and any other networking sites that pertain to your profession. Search old yearbooks and company directories for ideas about connections.

5PM-on: Step away from the computer. Relax on the couch, kick your shoes off, pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage and indulge yourself with some mindless TV, reveling in the knowledge that even while you’re sleeping, prospective employers could be searching for you, finding you, and praying that you’ll take the job they’re offering.

“It was a lot of work, and it was tiring, but it was actually a lot of fun,” says Kristen. “When you look good, you feel good. I wasn’t at all ready to go out and find a job before, but now, it’s definitely time! I feel really confident!”

You can get more information about each of these steps in the book ‘Career Comeback–Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want.’ But if you’re eager to get started right away, just do a search for the parts you want to clarify on AOL Jobs. Happy (and fast) job hunting!

Source: http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/08/26/how-to-find-a-job-in/

Here’s What Makes A Good Brochure!

By Duncan McAdams

Following on from what makes a brochure crap…

We humans don’t talk in bullet points or rave about how good we are or crap on about our history ad nauseum. We look into someone’s eyes and tell stories that engage and delight the recipient. We are friendly, offer something valuable and are keen for a response.

Now go look at your companies’ brochure – does it contain the following:

1. As many compelling reasons for me to buy from you as possible. What’s in it for me, how will I benefit from your product or services? (Include benefits, outcomes, features and interesting info – the lot. No holding back!)
2. Who else has bought – that is happy testimonials? I will believe your satisfied clients before I believe you.
3. What incentives are there for me to hand over my cold hard cash? How are you enticing? Do you have a special offer?
4. Tell me the easy way for me to buy with a number of payment options – you don’t know this but it’s really helpful if I can pay over a three-month period with my credit card (for example).
5. Guaranteed – I don’t trust you yet, what if I’ve made the wrong choice? I’m a good person but I don’t want sole responsibility in this transaction. What happens if it breaks – will I have a huge amount of trouble getting a refund or replacement? Are you good enough to guarantee your work 100%?

I will repeat myself a hundred times in marketing when it comes to spending any money on it. GET IT RIGHT! It’s hard enough with the competition, staffing, compliance and so on to spend money and not get a result.

Who has got boxes of brochures in the back room that never really worked?

If you are a small or medium business owner, have no fear – the big corporates buggar it up as well. So a competitive edge is to get your ‘brochure’ working for you as a sales tool – something that will compel someone to buy from you or at least enquire further.

Brochures are a sales tool. A tool to work for you when you aren’t there in front of your clients. If yours don’t work – biff the lot and start again.

Source: http://www.dmcadams.com/marketing-that-works/heres-what-makes-a-good-brochure/