Give soul to your CV

A CV is the first opportunity to sell yourself to a prospective employer. It must be a selling tool that shows the benefits of hiring you; not just a summary of your experience but an advertisement of your achievements and potential. A CV must be;

CONCRETE AND VALUABLE: There’s usually a lot of ‘too good to be true’ stuff people put on CVs. Granted that the better you look on your CV the more likely you’ll get that interview opportunity. But the CV must be based on substance. Any claims you make must be properly backed up. So where-ever you are or doing now make yourself as valuable as possible so that you can gather this type of evidence for your next CV update.

CREDIBLE AND VIVID: Organizations are looking not just for people who can do again what they have done before ( which is what most CVs communicate) but people who are enterprising and can develop and present new solutions. Whatever job you’re doing now put your own twist on it so that it’s more interesting for you and also delivers better results. Don’t’ feel the need to create the impression in your CV that you have all the answers but that you know how and where to get answers you need.

CONFIDENT AND VIBRANT: Use every opportunity to continue to build your skills so that you CV shows a trend of a growth towards higher level skills, of a person who always stays current. Be responsible for your own learning so that you ensure this professional growth is within your control. Your aim is to be able to come across as talented, focused, resourceful and results-driven.

COMPETITIVE AND VITAL: You should never forget the purpose of the CV. It needs to be strong on its own but also can compete compared to others’ going after the same job. Ensure the CV speaks to the responsibilities of the job, to show you are more than capable. Think; what makes you unique, where do you stand out over others and reflect that in the CV.

Now take action: How does your CV match up to the above? Update it