Curriculum Vitaes. You may think they're just a piece of paper to blanket drop to every possible potential employer and recruitment agent but getting your Curriculum Vitae just right makes all the difference in the ever increasing competitive employment market.
I must screen hundreds of CVs every week, which are sent to me via various communications. Like the rest of the working world I'm a busy person. I need to be able to pinpoint from the second I open the document whether somebody is suitable or not. How I feel about a candidate, my impression of them, whether I feel they are worth speaking to is all on a piece of paper they've sent to me. Yet it surprises me how little time many job seekers spend on their CV. Even down to spelling every element of your CV is important. The CVs I love? Short, sweet, to the point, outlining achievements, well presented and easy to read. The ones I loathe? Pages and pages and pages and pages of detail and information, millions of borders (especially twee little picture borders), tables, numerous different fonts. I don't want my eyes bleeding! You get the idea anyway?
Consider your CV a first impression. Much like an interview, 80% of it is the overall impression you create. Of course, this is not to say you want to start making up elaborate stories. Be honest, clear and concise on your CV (dishonesty and edits are bound to be found out eventually no matter how hard you try to cover them up to me or anyone else out there - this includes fooling yourself!) but you also need to present it in the best way possible in order to sell yourself and to make it easier for any potential employer to open and say "Yes! I want to meet this person."
My top recommendations for creating your CV:
1. Always start with your personal details at the top. Remember to include a personal profile. A short description of yourself is great. I must mention here that I see many CVs saying "I am able to work to my own initiative but also as part of a team". That's fine if it's true but try to be more original. You're aiming to convince an employer why you are better than every other person who has applied for the role that day/week/month. Think about who you are. What are your key strengths in a working environment and shout about them!
2. Put your employment experience in chronological order! It never ceases to amaze me how many people start with their oldest job first. I want to know what you're doing now. Not what you were doing 5 years ago (even if this is relevant to the role you are seeking, I can find this out as I read down your CV).
3. Always, always, always list your achievements at each role. This is particularly important if you are working in a target based/KPI style job. Think about the person you are trying to impress. They want to see the hard facts and figures about what you can do. Not what your job description is! So if you are a Sales Negotiator tell me about how many viewings you book on average, your average monthly sales figures, whether you are a top performer on a company's league table, won awards, sold so many financial services/conveyancing packages etc. Anything and everything which is relevant to performance and achievement! You are employed to make money. Make it relevant to their bottom line. They want to see you have done the job but they always want to know that you can DO the job! Then be prepared to back this up with evidence at an interview.
4. Limit your CV to two A4 pages. Keep it simple. Use point formats when listing information under your previous employment.
5. Be selective about where you send your CV and how you send it. This may be a revelation to you but blanket dropping your CV to the whole world with a standard template email or letter is not going to work and will not paint you in the best possible light. If you see a job you are interested in, call the number. Speak to the person offering the vacancy (be that a recruitment consultant or company). This will instantly make you stand out from other candidates who are relentlessly pressing the "Apply" button on every vacancy ever emailed to them via various job board subscriptions. I receive hundreds of emails each month, many from candidates who have obviously not read the job description fully. Not the best first impression to be sending. Finding a job takes time. Be prepared to commit. Make it your job to find a job. If you're not willing to do that, think about whether making a move at this moment in time is the right thing for you (nobody likes time wasters and burning your bridges with any recruitment agent or potential employer is never a good idea).
Finally. If you're unsure get some advice. From family, friends or your recruitment consultant. AMR are here to offer career support. We are always happy to assist our candidates with improving their CVs or interview skills. If you are currently working in the property industry and are looking to make a move or simply want to ask for some advice call 07737 867550 for more information.
