Your CV and a Can of Baked Beans
Filed under: Your CV: Innovative New Ideas, Your CV: Quick Fixes, Your CV: What's Its Purpose?
It’s an analogy I use often. What?? Yep …
Your CV is your ‘label’. Just like a can of baked beans has one. You have one.
And it does a similar job. It brands you, positions you, it – in one glance – provides the reader with an impression of what they’re gonna get.
Here’s the job it must do:
1) It must get attention
2) It must convey the impression of quality
3) It must convey the impression of organization and being ‘together’
4) It must provide some backup detail to support the ‘impression’
5) And it must do it all really fast.
Although consumers don’t buy purely on the strength of the label, it does go some way in ‘twisting their arm’.
Your CV needs to do the same as the 4 points above.
Are You Making This CV Mistake?
It’s just happened again. A CV writing client has been merrily sending out her CV. And she’s wondering why no-one’s getting back to her.
Well I can give her one reason.
She has no contact details on her CV. Nothing. No address. No cell. No phone. No e-mail.
“But it’s on my cover letter!” Yeah, maybe. BUT here’s how it works in real life: it’s almost certain that your cover letter and CV will get separated at an early stage of the hiring process.
And are you so hot that they’re going to scramble and search for your cover letter? Probably not. They probably have a pile of other applicant CVs just waiting to take your place.
And will anyone tell you that it’s missing? Does anyone care? Yes. Me. And maybe your mom.
There are also other reasons “Jess” isn’t getting response. That’s why she’s come to me, and I’m going to fix it.
Details of my CV writing service here.
“Do you feel like just another insect on the windscreen of job hunting life?”
Yeah, one can feel pretty lousy in a job hunt. Maybe you’re getting no response week after week. And hey, let’s be honest, it could be nothing to do with you. Maybe you’re great. It’s just that the job market is deflated.
But here’s a question:
Do you also consider it possible that you could be doing a better job of marketing your skills? Do you think you could be presenting yourself better? In your CV, in covering letters and in interviews?
Can I give you some personal insights here? I’m a CV writer – it’s what I do pretty much all day. And I see some really fantastic people make a real hash of their CV etc. They make basic errors.
I don’t want you to do the same. So here’s a great free resource from me: “High Impact Job Search Quick Fixes” – it’s 23 pages of my best ideas for ‘quick fixing’ your CV, cover letter or job interview. It also includes a step-by-step guide to writing a 2 page CV – very useful when adverts say: “send your 2 page CV …”
All you have to do is send an e-mail to quickfixes@getresponse.com
Then check your e-mail inbox.
Hope this helps! Mail me directly if you need help with this (see About page).
CV / Resume Mistake #1 and How to Fix it
Filed under: Your CV: Innovative New Ideas, Your CV: Quick Fixes
Taken from an article on Yahoo’s HOT JOBS (article by Caroline Potter, expert advice by Lauren Milligan of ResuMAYDAY.) I’ve added my own boring comments.
And the thing is … I agree totally with the advice. I’m posting it because it’s good CV advice – in my CV / Resume writing practice I apply this advice all the time. So should you.
Think Big
Whatever jobs you’ve held — be it as an assistant or a CEO — think beyond the everyday tasks of your position … “People get bogged down in the day-to-day details of their jobs, but when it comes to your resume, you’ve got to get out of the clutter and ask yourself, ‘What does this work mean?’” …
… “If I’m hiring for an administrative assistant, I already know what one does. I don’t want to see a resume that only says an applicant can type and answer a phone. You have to go beyond that to point out your specific strengths.” …
Start by having big-picture conversations about what you do and how it serves the organization as a whole … “If you’re in a support position, consider how successful the person you support is and how you help her do her job better. What role do you have in her successes? Those are your accomplishments.”
This is particularly a problem in SA. We love our long lists of “Duties” and “Responsibilities” on our CV or Resume don’t we? Now I wouldn’t advise just chopping them all out. No. But by all means make it concise. Create a bulleted list of maybe 5 key duties, provide a quick overview – then move on to your achievements.
Personal Note – actually the point above is my biggest frustration with CV / Resume writing! Clients – maybe like you!! 
– send me so much detail on “duties” I have a long hard time of simplifying it to make it concise and hard hitting. And it sometimes gives them a shock too! But that’s my job. And it results in an easier to read, more scannable, more understandable, harder hitting CV / Resume.
Your CV – How to Remodel it for Hard Hitting Impact in 60 Minutes or Less
Coming soon:
A “special release” e-guide.
‘Ordinary’ is out. ‘Bashing down doors’ is in!
10 Quick Easy Ways to Quick Fix Your CV
Easy and quick but too long to detail here – download your free e-book of CV quick fixes AND get additional job interview and cover letter quick fixes by entering your details below. It’ll be e-mailed directly to your inbox in pdf format.
