Your CV is critically important. So if you’re wanting professional help. Good.
But in choosing a CV writer or CV writing service, you want one who’s going to give you what you need. A CV writer who will give you a competitive advantage in a cluttered and confusing job market.
So here are some quick guidelines, from me Gerard le Roux, professional CV writer since 2002 (yes, I’ve done a good 20 000 hours) and a Certified Guerrilla Job Search Coach.
CV / Resume Writer – 4 Criteria to Choose One
They must be a salesman. Getting a job is a sale. You are a product, a service, a business. The employer has a need, you have a solution. You need a salesman to craft the message, to present your value, your features and benefits. Sales must be your curriculum vitae writers main skill.
They must be able to sell visually and with words. In addition to being able to sell – to identify key points, to research, to see the need – they must be skilled in using words powerfully and economically.
Sharp, hard hitting, punchy sentences is what you need. Stringing words together in a way that persuades and is easily readable. A CV or resume writer has to be great with words. And they should be able to display those word in a visual way that’s easy to scan and read.
They must be a knowledgeable advisor. You are unique. You need someone who’ll listen and work with you on your ‘marketing message’. They must act as a strategist for you and your career.
Your CV writer must be someone who will put a positive spin on your experience (not just type the words into a pretty format.) And someone who understands what it is you do and what the market looks for.
Your CV writer must have a big imagination. Why?! Because let’s be real, you may have been in Admin for 20 years. You may not have won any awards. You may have just been ‘reliable Suzie’ in Accounts. And that’s okay!
But even so, your CV needs to stand out. It needs to sell you. It needs to make an impact. It takes imagination from a CV writer to find a way.
You’d better have a CV writing service or a resume writer who has all of the above – otherwise what you may end up with is just a ‘neat’ rehash of your existing CV, there’ll be no value add.
How to Decide on Your CV Writer
Just call your CV writer or service up. Have a chat. Get some insight into how they’d tackle the project. Send them your existing CV and some idea of what jobs you’re looking for, and then before you decide to use them, insist on a phone call to discuss. Make sure you speak to the actual person who’ll be doing the writing.
You’ll quickly see if you’re dealing with an expert, a career strategist … or just a typist. Nothing wrong with a typist, but perhaps you’re looking for more?
If you’re considering using me, Gerard le Roux, give me a call, any time. I’m on +27 (0) 83 744 5454 or e-mail me directly on gerard at jobsearching.co.za. Let’s chat. Service details are here.
Common Resume Writer / CV Service Pitfalls
Here’s a list of things that are common pitfalls with the ‘wrong’ CV writing service.
- The CV writing is delegated to a junior typist.
- Your CV is formatted in a ‘cookie cutter’ fashion.
- The CV writer doesn’t know what questions to ask you.
- They don’t understand what you do.
- They work as a kind of sausage machine production line.
- They don’t have the ‘savvy’ to see what’s important and what’s not in your CV.
- They put their adverts on your CV. (My pet hate, how dare they?!)
- Your CV writer may have no concept of “guerrilla” marketing (in a competitive market, this is a key).
There’s no one CV writer who’s perfect. We all have our flaws. But the above points should give you some good ideas for your CV writer choice.
Hope it helps!
