I bet you’re great at your job; you get results, you increase profits and you’ve been a real asset to your Employer. It’s now time to take the next step in your career. Lots of Companies will be keen to meet you, because you offer knowledgeable experience, you’ve got all the qualifications they’re looking for and you’re a great team player.
What a shame your CV/Resume is littered with spelling mistakes and is badly laid out (with different size text, flashy colours and stuffed full of boxes and tables that don’t reformat on other PCs).
Of course, it’s never held you back before; you’ve always found work without anyone telling you your Resume isn’t very good. Well, sorry, but times have changed. Set aside the difficulties brought around by the global recession and increased competition – the real point is that we live in a media age, where marketing is King. Everyone who has access to a PC or television is fed slick advertising and promises of high quality delivery. Employers are just as susceptible to these messages as anyone else. If your application doesn’t look the part (as well as containing the information that makes them want to meet you) you’ll be on the reject pile pretty fast.
When you think your CV is ready for public viewing read it again, but this time do it silently and alone, reading every single word, phrase and syllable, including your contact info and other sections that you have ‘presumed’ are still OK; make sure there are no silly spelling or grammar errors. Nine times out of ten, you will find an error and, by fixing that, you won’t interrupt the reader’s flow as they begin to understand your Profile.
An appropriate photo is becoming important; if you’re applying for a public facing role it’s vital that you convey your professional grooming standards. If you normally work behind the scenes, a little respect by taking the time to apply professionally demonstrates that you want your application to be taken seriously.
Be very selective about which sections of text you embolden; it should only be used as a point of focus – by scattering bold text here and there across the entire document, all emphasis is lost and, in fact, it’s incredibly difficult to read smoothly, so your message loses ground on 2 points
Remove all the italics, bright colours, underlining, boxes and multi-sized fonts; a simple Word (or equivalent) document that is sensibly spaced is all you need.
Make your CV easy to read, so it’s easy to decide that you should be invited for an Interview.
After all, you’d clean and polish your car to sell it for a few thousand – why wouldn’t you give your own life, career and future some extra attention?
Good Luck!
Fiona
April 2011
Read the most recent CV writing and job searching hints on the Betts Blog:
Yes, but what else can you do?
Top 10 skills that Candidates should offer to Employers
Look differently for your next job
www.BettsRecruitment.com Aviation People, for Aviation Companies
One thought on “You’d shine your car to sell it, wouldn’t you?”