Creating the Perfect CV

Your CV is the most valuable tool you need to secure an interview. The purpose of an interview is to acquire the job. By creating the perfect CV through applying the correct approach one would also be well on your way to being fully prepared for an interview.

 

 

In order to create such a CV, you need to understand the importance thereof and to be prepared to critically evaluate both yourself, and your existing CV.

 

Becoming employed has developed into a science. It is a skill within which training at school is seriously neglected. Had one known the values and competencies on which one would in the future be judged when seeking employment; one might have started accumulating knowledge, experience and exposure to far more activities and skills when one entered high school? You might just have foregone Hospitality as a subject and rather have selected Computer Typing. Participating in Orators might suddenly not just appear to be something only for the academically inclined.

 

Over the past thirteen years, I have compiled and reviewed hundreds of CV's. Almost daily I see job seekers making the same mistakes over and over again. You could be the best candidate for the job, but time and again, you fall through the cracks for the wrong reasons because you are either not invited for an interview, or because you were ill prepared for it. Your CV has to represent you not only as a skilled and competent worker, but also as a person and as someone who shares the values of the organisation they you are applying to. Creating a perfect CV is a tall order. You might be a brilliant accountant, motor mechanic, secretary or nuclear engineer but when writing your own CV you need to become a professional writer.

 

The most difficult product to sell is oneself. Our culture dictates that we don't talk about ourselves, nor do we boast about our achievements - yet when it comes to your CV, or during an interview, that is exactly what you are required to do, and to do it in a sensitive and professional manner without overselling yourself.

 

Measure your existing CV by these common mistakes job seekers make. Try and identify prospective problems or areas within your CV you might need to change, or could have been responsible to date for not getting you noticed -

 

- Using a friend or family member's CV as a template and just changing basic details resulting in a CV totally non-representative of yourself - and worst of all, leaving 'track changes' active, thus displaying the original CV in the background in a different colour. I have on more than one occasion seen the candidate not even changing the name of the file document - thus ‘Peter' is marketing himself with a CV named ‘Jane'!

 

- Over- or under-focus on skills (cutting and pasting out of their company job descriptions - which also results in an inconsistent use of language throughout the CV) - there needs to be a fine balance

 

- Essay style CV's with descriptive paragraphs or written in a conversation style or in the third person - here is an extract from a legal and experienced graduate CV: '.... one day, I was sitting, staring out the window and listening to the birds singing, and then suddenly it hit me. I wanted to be a Labour Lawyer. I finished my coffee, and resigned.' (his next job was that of door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman - do you understand why?)

 

- Unprofessional formatting - Lack of white space, dominating headings, varying font sizes, flamboyant borders or font, underlining, incorrect use of capitalising (or creating the whole CV in upper case) and bold, inserting clip art and using colour or coloured paper, oversized font, harsh and lined use of table that confuses the eye, dark shading (which could black out information on faxed CV's), etc.

 

- Not respecting the intelligence, integrity or competence of the reader

 

- Censoring your own career history (leaving out certain jobs) - Big Brother is watching you - all professional HR and consulting recruiters check and control dates and data given - don't create grey areas or doubt

 

- Dates that are vague - indicating periods worked from year to year, rather than by month plus year - could create an impression that you have a memory problem, or something to hide

 

- Excluding valuable information - The labour law might dictate that you no longer need to include certain information, e.g., health, residential area, transport/car owner, etc. - but if you've got it - flaunt it. No, you would not include having a 6 week old baby and no caretaker for it, (people have perceptions) but you could include that you have an established child support network or that you own a reliable vehicle

 

- Inserting a photograph (unless requested) - I recently reviewed a CV created by a qualified professional, concerned about not getting any response to the CV, in spite of possessing scarce skills and an excellent track record. He had included a full colour photograph (A4) of himself dressed in a Speedo. He was over 50 yrs of age. I rest my case.

 

- Including irrelevant information such as race, religion, sex, political affiliation and detail about your primary school achievements - especially if, thereafter, you never achieved anything again

 

- My pet hate - ‘The Opinion': 'I am very dynamic, hard working, honest and possess great management potential' - It could all be true, but if it is not linked to fact, it bears no weight, causes irritation, wastes valuable reading time and space, bores the reader and could see you being set aside.

 

- Page 1: CV + name; Page 2: Index; Page 3: Personal information, Page 4: Secondary education, etc. - Recruiters spend on average 3 - 9 seconds scanning CV's to select the ones they will read - evaluate how long it takes on opening your CV before one knows who you are and what you can do!

 

- Seeking sympathy - It scares prospective employers to know that you have problems. It could indicate that you might be emotional, a financial risk, miss work, etc.

 

- And the worst mistake - Poor language, spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, etc. I have seen candidates who earned 'Honorary Clothes' at school, received 'French Benefits' at all previous jobs, 'Completed Arty Curls' .. and 'Legal Artikuls'. Find a mature English speaking person to read through your CV once completed - if you don't know somebody, go to your nearest school and ask the oldest English teacher (don't forget to take some chocolate with you).

 

Would you ever jump on a plane destined for an overseas country and once it is in the air ask the cabin crew where it is going? Never! Months or weeks before you depart, you would compare prices, airlines, routes, establish the weather, currency, visa requirements, accommodation and what you need to prepare or will need to take with you. You would probably research places of interest, the local culture, the language spoken and existing transport systems. You would plan your trip for weeks, pack carefully and once on board the flight, you will be pretty secure in your knowledge that you have done everything you can to insure you reach your destination safely, as well as being fully prepared to make a success of your journey.

 

Why would you use any other strategy than that when looking for a job? Do you also grab the paper over coffee, circle a few positions, quickly update your CV (last looked at in 2004) and flood the market with it, then sit back and wonder why they don't hear from anybody plus blame the economy, the market, the 'agencies' and everybody else, but yourself, for not finding a job?

 

Watch this space, for Part 2 in our next edition. Planning is everything.

 

Curriculum vitae: It is the Latin for ‘Course of Life'.

Since writing my first CV for a client, 13 years ago I still learn new tricks with each and every CV I build/write. No two human beings are alike. There is no recipe that is perfect for everybody. Ideally you would alter and adapt your CV for every job you apply for to be aligned with the destination. So where does one start?

 

Here's the secret. Know what you are selling.

 

Whether you are selling a box of soap powder, or yourself, the principles are pretty much the same. You have to analyse and review your product.

 

Article By: Gail de Waal - CV Writer www.cvwriter.co.za

 

 

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