CV Secrets You Really Need to Know
Spending so much time reviewing CVs from people who are clearly in need of guidance is very frustrating. Why isn’t it obvious to them that their CV won’t work? Can’t they see it’s too long winded and boring?
Of course the answer lies in the fact that they only have their own CV to consider and it’s a matter of pride – and quite fascinating to them – to be able to fill 7 pages all about themselves.
But does anyone else really care? Who needs that level of detail to decide whether an interview should be offered? My own tolerance of unnecessary detail is very limited and confronted by lots of stuff I don’t want or need to know, I generally switch off.
What these people are missing is the fact that the CV is not there to GET them the job, but only to create enough interest to get them an interview. That’s when they have a chance to GET the job.
So what can be done about it?
Concentrate on the readers' needs; what do they absolutely need to know and what can be left out. If you are applying in response to an advertised vacancy, then the advert itself has all the clues you need, use the requirements they descibe as a checklist and show in your response how you meet their needs.
When you send your CV to someone who hasn't advertised its just as important to avoid overwhelming the eventual reader because you are imposing on their time. You should keep it to the minimum and focused entirely on how you can contribute specifically to their business needs.
When a prospective employer goes through a stack of applications, what do they use to cut that stack down?
Your CV of course, so it follows that your CV is more likely to work against you than for you!
Provide too much information and one of two things happens:
- the salient points are lost or are unseen amongst all that detail or
- they think that's all there is and don't consider the point you omitted.
Just about everybody can get a really good CV on two pages of A4 if they keep it to the point i.e. repeatable, relevant achievements with clear chronology.
Keep it free from jargon as you never know who will do the first sift and use job titles that are descriptive and understandable. When you get there, you can always say at interview "my actual job title was..."
Make sure you can be contacted easily, don't leave them having to search for your contact details - address, telephone and email should all be at the top of your document.
Cover Letters
You really want to avoid your CV ending up in the trash don't you, so when writing your cover letters, be sure to:
- Customize the cover letter to the particular job you're applying for
- Emphasize exactly how you expect to contribute to the company or organization
- Show interest and enthusiasm in the advertised job.
- Tell them you know about what they do and why you are interested in joining them
- Illustrate how your skills match the job description
- Check carefully for spelling errors and typos
- Address your letter by name to the person advertising (ring for the name if possible)
Your cover letter will get much better results if you show that:
- You know what employers want
- Your strengths have the edge over the competition
-
You tailor your cover letter to meet their specific employer's needs
Writing a cover letter for your job application is so important but many people find it difficult to get the words just right. Yet if you produce a badly written letter you may ruin the chances of your application succeeding.
If you could write a really good quality letter it would make the whole process much easier and take away at least some of the stress of job hunting.
Your cover letter is generally the first document most potential employers will read, looking for insight into your reasons for applying. So your job is to make sure it introduces you effectively and positively.
Please don't try to use the same one for every job application. It will need to be different if you are a relatively inexperienced applicant writing to an employer for an advertised role or writing a for an experienced Finance Manager. Equally, if you are a graduate writing directly to an employer or to Recruitment Consultants for senior IT jobs.
A cover letter's primary job is to provoke the reader's interest. Once you have their interest it must provide sufficient relevant information so that they want to know more about you.
Don't forget, a cover letter can only create interest it can't get you a job.
