As headhunters we receive hundreds of CV's throughout the year. Some we ask for and some arrive speculatively, but 95% of them all share the same common faults.

Design: Fancy borders, boxes, indents and fonts. These detract from the content.

Size: Cramming the information into two pages does not make a good CV. The two-page mafia have persuaded you that by reducing margins and using font size 8, then your document will have commercial impact. It won't.

Profiles: Words like "self motivated", "team player", "experienced" and "ambitious" are all subjective. Why use them when you can't prove them (imagine being asked to demonstrate why or how you are self motivated. Getting out of bed every morning will not impress anyone!).

Achievements: Some people list some achievements, some miss them out altogether. Few include all of their achievements, and even fewer objectively list all of their achievements. Undersell yourself on your CV and you won't get a chance at interview to correct the mistake.

Ghost writers: The sender neither knows nor understands their own CV. We could charge you for our version of your definitive CV but what benefit will you reap from it. At interview it will become obvious that you didn't write the CV they have in their hands.

Our general principle when helping candidates with their CV is that you end up with a template from which you can produce your own CV. The template can be used to create an individual CV for each and every application you make but ensure the general content is solid, factual and above all TRUE.

This is intended as a basic guide. If you want to know more then - please contact us.

So you are now ready to create a CV template that can be reproduced for each and every application you make but where the general content is solid, factual and above all TRUE.

Design: Some of you with a sales background should remember the adage KISS (Keep it Simple ... Stupid). Try your CV with Arial, Size 11, minimal Bold and good use of paragraphs and bullet points on plain white paper. Then paper clip it, (not staple it) which makes it easier to photocopy and prevents blood drops on the CV

Profiles: Tell the reader what you actually are like. Use your achievements to prove your qualites. Above all remnain objective and be prepared to discuss in depth all of the qualities you list at interview.

Headings: The ones we use are Profile, Career Details, Education and Training and Personal Details.

Profile: In one or two factual, and non self promoting, sentences write what you are and any special skills or attributes.

Career Details: Starting at the most recent and work backwards. Tell people about your company's background, (turnover, location, number of sites, etc) the reporting structure, your people responsibilities. Include the months that you started and finished. Talk about achievement not just responsibilities. Benefit sell not feature sell.

Education & Training: Same order as Career. Talk about your core education first then any supplementary training and/or qualifications. Good place to show your IT literacy.

Personal Details: Be assumptive about being British, unless you are not. If you are married with children then the sex and ages of children is helpful. Dangerous sports should be omitted as they are a negative.

One of the most common questions we are asked concerns the inclusion of your age on your CV. It is now illegal to discriminate on age. However experience tells us that if your age is not on your CV, the reader will work it out from your past career or education, then make a judgement using that information. Our view is to be positive and include all relevant personal information.

In our CV tips we have tried to give you a common sense approach to an uncomplicated but time consuming exercise. As professionals it would take us approximately four hours to produce a document that faithfully represents the subject, you.

The easiest way to test the effectiveness of your current CV is to ask your partner and/or your best friend to read it and then ask them "Is that me?"

More importantly is to answer the response of either "yes" or "no" with a follow up question............ "Why?"

You must then keep pushing till you are confident they have answered honestly.

Using those responses you should then be able to construct a document that honestly and effectively describes you to a stranger.

Enjoy writing your CV and if you feel that you are ready for that career move and that we can help then send us a copy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that your CV is written you need to complete the final part of your preparation.

• Contact us.
• Look at some advertised opportunities. We recommend The Daily Telegraph (Thursday edition), The Sunday Telegraph, The Times (Thursday edition), Sunday Times, Check the internet.
• Look at the recruitment sites for examples of current roles at the level you aspire to.
  (TIP: Print, cut out or copy the adverts that interest you - when you first see them. Place them in an envelope and at the end of the week read them all again and if they still interest you then send in an application).
• Check the trade magazines for your specific sector. Look for adverts and general industry news. By looking at adverts you will soon discover specialist agencies that match your requirements. Contact them first and arrange a meeting.
• Visit a commercial library. Contact local/area Chambers of Commerce
• Networking. Talk to industry contacts. Don't ask them if they know of anything going. That puts unfair pressure on them and on any relationship you may have.
  Ask them factual questions:-
  Who are the best/worst/fastest growing/most successful companies in this/our sector? This should give you at least 10 names. Do it with three people and after some repetition, you will have at least 15 names.
  Who is the main decision maker/force behind the success/changes? Do you know them? Can I use your name or can you introduce me?

You should now have a wealth of information.

Take a blank piece of paper and list on the left hand side all the things you like about your current and previous positions. Now rank them. On the right hand side, all the bad things. Rank them.

You should now have some idea of what you want and conversely, don't want. We will refer to this as your Road Map.

Apply these criteria to all the information you have researched through the above and you now have some sort of direction to follow and more importantly, reasons why.

Congratulations. You can now enter the job market.