Are you ready for the New Year Jobs? Is your CV up-to-date? Are you up to a job change? Making positive job changes is one of the simplest yet most rewarding things you can do. So, how big a change are you going to make this year?
Securing a job promotion or a step-up in your career is about ‘selling’ what is special, unique and valuable about you and your career to-date to your new employer.
It’s not just about job hunting, it’s about beating the competition
The first part of the process involves becoming very ‘clear’ about the desired direction of your career, and understanding what, if any, changes you may need to make. Are you comfortable with change? Do you know how to satisfy your demands, needs and wants? And do you have a vision of your future career? The second part of the process is to gain an appreciation and understanding of what has already worked well for you in your career. To help you strengthen these two positive forces, have a go at answering the following questions:
- What level of job do you want to achieve this year?
- What salary do you feel you are worth?
- What would help you secure a better job?
- How confident are you about securing a promotion?
- How have you excelled in your career to-date?
Candidates who are ready for change are the ones who are snapped up first by employers. They demonstrate their ability to put themselves into their employer’s shoes and they inspire their employer with their naturalness, confidence and willingness to take action. In short, they don’t just barter their skills and experience in exchange for a monthly deposit into their bank account.
Conventional job hunting methods includes writing a historical CV document, which focuses on the candidate and what he/she has done in his/her career. Some candidates even go as far as writing a description of what their aspirations and hopes are for the future, including key buzz or search words. But is this enough for today’s changing market? Is this demonstrating the candidate’s capacity for change?
No, of course, it isn’t. CVs like this make boring reading because the balance is all wrong. The candidate places too much emphasis on Mr. Organisation to do it for him/her. For example, ‘Give me the job, salary, bonuses, holiday, ideas, mission statement, vision and staff, and I hope I can do everything that is in the job description’. Candidates such as these will get very strong signals that they are doing something wrong and a refusal to change will mean a dead-end job or a short career.
However, candidates inspired and ready for change talk about giving to the organisation, not taking from it. The balance is completely different. So how do you write a CV which is focused on giving to the company or organisation? Sarah Berry has the following CV tips for you:
- Project yourself into the job you desire. Put yourself in the future and notice how you have changed. What is different about you and what would other people notice that has changed? Be that person now and write your CV.
- Focus on solutions. Talk about solutions in your CV. Solution talk is far more powerful than problem talk or even no talk. It allows you to show your resourcefulness and initiative. It also inspires others to feel empowered by you, your ideas and your capabilities. Above all, it helps you to come across in your CV as a person who is comfortable with change.
- Show your value. Demonstrate your value to the prospective employer by showing your commitment to the organisation, the environment in which it operates and its influence on the ‘world’. Go below the surface and instead of saying ‘I do this and that’, demonstrate your worth and individual contribution. Show your depth of knowledge and expertise by focusing on how you perform your role. Convince the employer of your specialism and expertise.
- Be personal. Avoid telling the employer irrelevant details such as your place of birth, children’s names and what you do in your spare time, but focus on the big one – your personality. Let your language reflect who you are and your strengths as an individual.
- Think of your CV as a presentation. Ensure that your CV grabs the reader’s attention and maintains interest from the first to the last word. Every word in your CV must be making a positive impression on the reader. You want the reader to be saying, ‘Yes, yes, yes, this looks like the right person and I can’t wait to meet and interview him/her’.
So, if your existing CV doesn’t reflect you at your best, start again. If you can incorporate the above points, you are more likely to create interest. Remember that a good CV is worth whatever time and effort it takes. The worst part of losing a job over a weak CV is that it is the one aspect of your job search over which you have complete control. So accept that you may need to make those necessary positive changes to your current CV.
Let Sarah Berry help you with your CV
Give yourself the best chance of getting the job – invest in a professionally written CV today courtesy of career consultant Sarah Berry. Alternatively you can have your CV assessed by clicking here.
Let Your CV Boost your Career
Your CV is the one part of the job hunt over which you have complete control over. If your CV isn’t showing you off in the best light then you are doing yourself a grave disservice.
Writing the Perfect CV
Your CV needs to:
- Rank top of search for your keywords.
- Engage with the reader.
- Promote your value and the benefit of hiring you.
- Provide you with your interview sales pitch.
- Underpin your promises, with notable and relevant achievements.
A winning CV will open up lots of new career opportunities for you. Invest in a professional CV and you´ll boost your career progression.