CV Advice, the $64,000 question!

I get asked at least three times a day for advice about something to do with recruitment. And in the current climate, this is increasing as the world goes slightly mad. So, in order to help you as best as I can, here is my advice. However, please note, you will speak to 10 different recruiters and you may get 10 different pieces of advice. So, if you only follow one rule, please let it be this. THIS IS YOUR CV, if someone tells you do something or change something, you are not happy with, then do not. The rest is just my humble opinion and a taster of what I can recommend, please get in touch so I can share this valuable information with you!  

Non negotiables:

1)     Write it yourself. No-one knows your experience better than you. Yes, get someone to help coach the knowledge out of you, but never pay someone to talk about what you have achieved. And do not write it in the third person. Jo Richardson very much enjoys writing useful information to help people …..what? I achieved it, I delivered it, I did it. Not Jo, me!

2)     Ignore the two page rule. That applied when you physically printed a CV off and posted it to apply for a job. Do not cut out valuable information because you think a CV has to be two pages.

3)     Simple format, one colour, one font. The most effective looking CV’s showcase your experience, not your artistic skills.

4)     A strong profile at the top which talks about what you do. Only needs to be a short paragraph, not chapter and verse.

5)     If you have held several positions at the same company, use the company name as the section’s header and move backwards. Give dates and job title for each, listing your achievements in this list. This will show your drive and ambition whilst being committed to one business.

I am hugely mindful of what a difficult market it is at the moment. I thought the world went mad towards the end of 2019 but 2020 does not seem to be much better. Do not get overwhelmed by all of this. If you have been out of the job search for a while and you have been a manager, think about when you have recruited. What have you looked for on a CV? Apply the same logic and have faith in what you have delivered and achieved.  

And if you are still baffled, I can tailor an approach to what you need. However, I will be brutally honest. If I do not think your CV needs much work on it, I will tell you and not waste your time and money. Investing the time now is vital as I think the market is the toughest, I have ever known.

 www.winhurstcoaching.co.uk/worktogether

 And once your CV is spot on, get LinkedIn sorted as over 70% of the candidates I place come through LinkedIn, so you want to make sure that you are in somebody is 70%!