Executive search recruiting UK Developing a CV

It is vitally important to tailor your CV to suit each job application, and here is how to go about it:

A radically altered approach is now required for the presentation of experience, qualifications and other marketable qualities. This is due to the significant developments that have altered the concept of CV preparation and distribution. Firstly there is the word processor which enables the CV to be customised and secondly the new methods of job search such as networking.

When preparing your CV and stating what you have done in the past, you must keep in mind what will actually be of interest to potential employers; in other words, skills that demonstrate how you can add value to their business in the future. The most common mistake made when constructing a CV is to view it as simply a list of jobs and duties you have performed.

You must consider the experience you have acquired over the years rather than the duties you have carried out. You need to make an investment; spend a few hours building up your personal log, accounting absolutely everything you have to offer. Take note of every asset of value to a potential employer by identifying your achievements, skills and personal strengths. These include IT skills and foreign languages. Although you may not believe you have much to offer at the start, by being imaginative and thorough, you certainly will.

Now that you have mustered this information it is time to be selective. The production of a specifically designed CV is required every time you respond to a job advertisement, a call from a head hunter etc. By making sure of this, you are able to get a step ahead of applicants who continue to use the same standard CV, regardless of its suitability.

If you are applying for similar job vacancies each time then you need only customise your basic CV in order to highlight those areas that are relevant to the company and position in question. However, if you are at a career cross roads it is absolutely necessary to have at least two completely different CVs.

Instead of continually amending your CV it may seem sufficient to attach a cover letter containing the relevant points. Taking this lazy option is plausible if the points in question are minor, however, this option can prevent you from getting ahead of the competition. In addition, be careful of emphasising information in the letter that is insignificant or absent in the CV; a professional head hunter is sure to spot the absurdity. Using the cover letter more effectively would be to highlight, in bullet-point form those aspects of your CV that are most relevant to the job you are applying for. As cover letters tend to be read before the attached CV, if you use this technique you are more likely to have your application put forward into the ‘yes’ pile.

The ultimate goal of the CV is to get yourself an interview or a meeting with a useful network contact. By producing irrelevant material such as your entire working life history the impact of your CV is significantly reduced; valuable points will be obscured. All jobs must be mentioned on a full CV or else recruiters will jump to unfavourable conclusions about any gaps. What you select to say about each job should be carefully chosen to illustrate why you are right for the job.

A conventional CV may not be the best option at all if you are planning to highlight only parts of your career. You may prefer to mention only the relevant aspects to that job when networking or making a direct application. Alternatively, you can avoid the written word altogether; by telephoning the organisation you may be able to generate sufficient interest to justify a meeting. This call needs to be, in effect, a spoken CV; sharply edited and accurately targeted.

However, a CV must sometimes be submitted, for example when a head hunter or an advertisement specifically asks for one. When this is the case it is crucial to present the key selling points in the most attractive way to the recipient in order to get you an interview. Attempting to stand out from the crowd by being unconventional is a hazardous strategy that is likely to have negative affects.

The universal preference is the conventional CV format; this begins with brief personal details, followed by relevant qualifications and then career history, in reverse chronological order. Likes and dislikes vary but these Top Ten rules for writing an effective CV are generally applicable:

1. Typography: stick to a business-like typeface such as Times New Roman. It is better to produce two well-spaced pages rather than one cramped page that is difficult to read; legibility is vital.
2. Brevity: anything over three pages is going to be rejected; no-one enjoys reading CVs especially when there is a large pile.
3. Priority: get your key selling points in as early as possible.
4. Ability: emphasise achievements rather than duties.
5. Clarity: avoid jargon and abbreviations that might be unfamiliar to the reader.
6. Honesty: do not lie or make claims that you cannot justify. You will be caught out by skilled interviewers and they will check up on details such as qualifications and dates of employment.
7. Vanity: an opening paragraph that contains your personal profile should be avoided. However, if you must use one keep it low on adjectives and free of hype, but high on facts and quantifiable achievements.
8. Economy: make every word count, i.e. the ‘curriculum vitae’ heading is superfluous as it is blatant what the document is. Personal and educational details should be kept to a minimum- your ‘O’ level subjects are irrelevant. Include only relevant leisure interests and omit references as they will not be used until you have been offered the job. You must leave out everything that does not aid the CV in its objective.
9. Accuracy: proof-read carefully as well as using spell check. The impact of the entire CV can be ruined by a single error.