Important questions to ask a CV expert

Experience – Very few clients ask me about my experience and knowledge. OK this is outlined in my profile and many clients see my career advice in the Irish Independent, Sunday Tribune and websites like RecruitIreland. Having said this I think it is still important to ask the question.

Track Record – A few references would be nice.

Approach to CV design – Get the career expert to discuss their views on CV’s to get a feel for their knowledge and approach. There are many “grey men in grey suits” designing CV’s from standard templates with little impact.

Price – It is important to shop around but like any other service the lowest is not always the best

If you want more information about our CV writing service why not visit out website.

When developing the CV jobseekers must think like a marketing professional and design their marketing material (the CV) with the audience in mind. Jobseekers must understand the needs of the employer which can be accessed through job specifications, company website or asking the employer directly. It is then essential to communicate how they can resolve these needs through their CV.

The next major problem with most CV’s is the layout. A CV has 30 seconds to make an impact. If a potential employer cannot see how a jobseeker can solve their problems within a short space of time they risk missing out on interview.

Effective CV layout means that all key information can be easily accessed by the reader in the first page of the document. Many jobseekers have relevant work experience, qualifications and skills hidden at the end of their CV. Remember hiring managers may not take the time to read a CV from start to finish.

Contact us if you require help from a professional

CV writing – Identify what the employer wants
CV writing can be simple. Job specifications often have the answers as they are really the employer telling you what they want. You need to dissect the job spec and identify the key points and then show how you meet the requirement on your CV. Ensure you get all important information at the start of your CV as you cannot be sure that the employer will read to the end.

CV format – make an impact
Again the job spec will dictate this. For example if a role is asking for a Degree and you don’t have it then place your qualifications at the end of the CV. This will let you. If you place your qualifications at the beginning of the CV – go straight to the bin and don’t pass go. Another example – if it is a sports company you are applying for and you are passionate about sport – don’t make the employer read to the end of the CV to find this out.

CV writing can be quite simple when you understand how to do it. Learn the key principle and you can take this with you through your career. If you need help with your CV contact us for information about out CV WRITING SERVICE.

www.careersandjobs.ie – Career advice and information about the job market in Ireland

www.cv4jobs.ie – information about CV’s and interviews

www.hrandrecruitment.ie – Blog for employers on related HR and recruitment topics

www.jobsnews.ie – Jobs and news on the Irish jobs market

www.jobsblog.ie

The internet is saturated with websites full of advice on CV design and content and everyone seems to be an expert in this area including family and friends. In principle much of this information and advice may be relevant to help create a killer CV and sell yourself effectively but the key issue that seems to be overlooked time and time again is that your CV is not actually about you. Think I’m mad – read on.

Is a CV really about you?

Yes your CV will contain information about you under the headings of personal details, value statements, education & training, work history and hobbies but exactly what information should be determined by the job specification and the employer requirements and not by what you want to write. When you understand and embrace this point your CV to interview ratio will increase dramatically.

CV Writing – See yourself as a product or service.

Another way to consider this is to imagine you are a product or service that you are trying to sell to a potential customer. Any good salesperson will tell you that the initial focus in any sale is to identify the needs of the customer. The client has posted a job specification telling you their needs so this has already made your job easier. Most jobseekers choose to ignore this valuable information and instead write everything they can about themselves thus offering information that is irrelevant to the potential employer. These CV’s lack focus or more importantly client focus. If this is what you are doing your sales pitch is providing information on features of your product or service that doesn’t interest the client.

Many jobseekers have one CV which they submit to every interesting job. If a salesperson offered the same sales pitch to every client they would not be very successful. Your CV should be altered for every position you apply for because in reality every client has different needs. This can range from a few tweaks to your CV to a major overhaul if for example you are applying for totally different skill-sets or roles.

CV Writing – 30 seconds to make an impact.

Most jobseekers have heard that many employers will make a decision within the first few minutes of an interview. Well most employers will make a decision to call you for interview within the first 30 seconds of reading your CV. It is important to tell a client early in your CV that you can solve their problems. Make an immediate impact and secure the chance to secure an interview to hammer home why you are the right person for the job.

Need CV help or advice – contact us.

“The workshop has helped me to layout my CV properly and identify what is relevant for the employer”

“Very good advice. I have a lot of areas in my CV and at interview I can improve. The course was a great help”

“Very helpful. I am starting to explore the job market after an absence of several years and I feel that I now know where to start”

“Yes Paul was excellent, approachable and very friendly”

I am running another workshop on 20th October. If you want more information get in touch via my website www.measurability.ie or email me on paul@measurability.ie

Paul has worked with many organisations in a variety of sectors helping them recruit, assess and select the right candidate. He has designed recruitment processes, analysed job requirements, managed recruitment projects and helped oganisations implement psychometric assessment solutions. Paul previously worked with Saville & Holdsworth and was a founder and former Director of Eden Recruitment Limited.

Paul helps jobseekers to achieve career, life & business goals using an innovative approach in a one-one and workshop format. He is unique because he has experienced jobs, recruitment and careers as an employer – hiring staff, as a jobseeker – looking for work, as a recruitment consultant – finding jobs for others and as an assessment/hr consultant – helping company’s design recruitment processes, interview, assess and hire the right people. Paul is a Career Doctor with the Irish Independent for their Thursday Jobs & Careers supplement and The Sunday Tribune, regularly posts career articles on www.recruitireland.ie , www.salesjobs.ie and www.eirjobs.com and comments on jobs, careers and work life balance topics in the media and national radio.

Paul studied in Liverpool and qualified with a Degree in Business Studies from John Moore’s University and has since been awarded a Diploma in Business & Life Coaching. He has extensive training with Saville & Holdsworth including psychometric testing (Level A & B), competency based interviewing, job analysis and competency design and assessment center design.

Measurability is a professional, well established consultancy offering tailored solutions to meet our client needs. Our service is underpinned by psychometric assessment to help organisations recruit and develop the best but also to help individual’s achieve career satisfaction and success