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Archive for the ‘CVs’ Category
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
The budget is going to lead to huge job losses – according to an article in The Guardian 500,000 and 600,000 jobs will be lost in the public sector and between 600,000 and 700,000 in the private sector by 2015. But where will people get jobs? The treasury are assuming that the private sector will create 2.5m jobs but how? With the cuts in public sector budgets there will be a dramatic drop in the money spent in the private sector and with people losing their jobs they will have much less money to spend.
Cutting jobs in the public sector will save money, but there is also the costs of unemployment benefit and the lack of tax payments.
I wrote my first book, How to Get a Job in a Recession to help those who couldn’t afford one to one coaching with me and as a course reader for my job search clients. There really is a lot of helpful guidance in this book.
It can be a period of uncertainty, and not just for the next couple of months but possibly over the length of this government, so what can you do:
If you think there is a possibility that you my lose your job it is worth spending time in advance getting prepared.
- Take time to bring your CV up to date, to build contacts and ensure you are in contact with people who may be able to help you in your job search.
- Be sure that you know what you would apply for. Whatever your job are there likely to be jobs available elsewhere?
- Think about your transferable skills and how they could make you a suitable candidiate for a different type of work
- Listen to what is happening within your company or department, not to be scared by rumours but to be aware of possible lost contracts
- Keep an eye on the business press, what is being said, where is there any growth
For some people working for themselves may be an option
I’m very happy to answer any questions you may have, so post a question below and come back to read my reply.
Posted in CVs, JOB SEARCH
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
I’ve been talking with some of my fellow career professionals about the increase in people putting fake degrees on their CVs.
When people are looking to enhance your CV and thus improve their chance of success in getting short list an extra qualification may seem like a good idea.
Many times people will add on an extra A level, amend their grades or claim for a degree they don’t have. But companies will check out qualifications and if they find you have lied you will lose your job. But it’s likely to happen before then, certain qualifications stand out on a CV for the wrong reasons and establishments that offer degrees on the basis of life experience such as Belford University in the United States are well known.
Background checks are often undertaken before a job offer is made, and if you know that there are ‘errors’ on your CV this could be a reason why you don’t get a job offer.
I would never work with any person who behaved in such an unethical way. I’ve yet to find a client with these ‘errors’ but if I did, and you wanted to keep these ‘qualifications’ on your CV I’d have to let you go as a client, it is deeply against my values.
Posted in CVs
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Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
A number of people have been saying that they don’t see the point of a cover letter, they just fill in online details or email off their CV.
There are missing out!
50% of the decision on whether to short list you or not is dependent on your cover letter.
Whilst you can personalise your CV to the job, the letter gives you a great opportunity to show that you really understand how you match up to the job.
You create the cover letter using the key requirements of the job and provide a specific example of each. Sometimes you have to ‘dig deep’ to find an example, but you must. Leave a gap, fail to show how you match up and you dramatically reduce your chance of getting through to interview.
Don’t forget about style
I create cover letters and CVs that are matching pairs, so they look like they belong together – same font and size of text for personal details on both
Tell them what you will do next
Don’t end with – ‘I look forward to hearing from you’. Take ownership and say what you will do next. you will call on Tuesday to discuss your application, no harm in appearing keen!
Posted in CVs, JOB SEARCH
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Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Your CV is an important document but it can also be boring! Bring it alive by capturing real examples from all aspects of your life. When we apply for a job, we have to provide examples of our achievements, courses we have completed etc. Too often we only remember what we did after we have made the application.
Let today be the day you start filling your own jewel chest. Let the diamonds be your achievements, the rubies courses you have been on, emeralds the personality testing results etc.
What you put in your chest is up to you. I recommend a box where you can physically put things rather than a computer folder that you may not be able to find again, but you can keep it all backed up and keep details of the file name.
The box should contain all your job related information. People who work in IT keep extensive details of their IT skills and make sure they address any skills training needs so that they do not fall behind.
Your achievement folder can contain:
* Certificates and diplomas
* Letters of thanks from satisfied customers and clients
* Details of courses you have attended, including dates, length of course and key outcomes
* Articles and letters you have written to professional journals, staff newsletters etc
* Personal development: reports from personality questionnaires and assessments you have undertaken. You probably will not want to hand these over to a new employer but you can refer to them as you prepare for interview and to start in your new job.
* Achievements at work and in your personal life. From dealing with a challenging customer to completing a half marathon.
Once you have this information, your CV is no longer a dull record of past jobs, milestones and achievements. It is a living statement of your life: where you are now, even where you want to be. You could keep notes on your thoughts, feelings, and ambitions. The file can be as personal as you want. It covers what you will need to update your CV and use in job applications.
The achievement folder will then be your first step to updating you CV, and updating it will be a simple task rather than a big chore.
You may choose to put other things in the box, like notes on your career and life goals and specific weekly achievements to help with your appraisal. Often bosses don’t remember what you have done, so it is important that you have information you can refer to.
Posted in CVs
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Sunday, April 25th, 2010
Beauty is in the hands of the audience
I wish I could tell you the definitive way to create a CV but what’s required varies so much – if your CV gets you shortlisted it will have don its job.
I was chatting to someone recently whose CV was praised by one recruitment consultant, who loved the layout, the use of colour and the customer quotes. The recruitment consultant especially liked the way that the technical skills were listed in the sidebar.
He was put forward for the job and his CV went to the HR manager. He had his initial interview and all went well.
He was then asked to adapt his CV before it was put forward to the line manager. He was told to take out the technical skills in the CV sidebar as the line manager doesn’t like them.
You just can’t know what the person who reviews your CV will think of your CV, and we all have our preferences, but you can make sure that you cover the basics
- it is well laid out
- it covers achievements
- it has some style, alongside the content
- it is targeted to the job.
I could write more, but it’s Sunday …
Posted in CVs
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Sunday, April 18th, 2010
In the current economic climate it is even more important that you stand out from all other applicants.
Your CV, plus your covering letter will get you shortlisted, or not.
You must adapt your CV to the job, one size does not fit all!
Today let’s focus on the career objective, the statement at the top of your CV.
Take a hard look at your career objective, be honest.
· Does it sell you or is it all about what you want?
· Does it make you stand out as someone who can offer real value?
· Does it demonstrate why you will be the best person for the job.
· Are you helping the recruiter make a decision?
· Is it clear and concise?
If you can’t answer a definite yes to each question, what are you going to do?
Can I help, do get in touch.
Posted in CVs, JOB SEARCH
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Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
Top tips for your covering letter
- Most of your important information will be contained in your CV, but a covering letter gives you the opportunity to impress. Do not provide too much information—one page should suffice. You want to be short listed, so leave some things to discuss at interview.
- Be careful to personalise your letter so it does not look like a circular or junk mail. The reader must know immediately that you have not have sent this letter to another employer. I still receive the occasional generalised letter. It doesn’t impress me.
- Avoid the phrase "I am writing" in your opening paragraph, as this is obvious.
- Consider using the same font and address style for both your CV and your covering letter for a consistent, professional look.
- Tailor your answer carefully to the key words of the advertisement. Provide key examples of your achievements that relate to the key criteria of the position.
- Incorporate into your letter, terminology the employer has used in the ad, written job description, or in a conversation. Don’t forget to match THEIR NEEDS to YOUR EXPERIENCE and ABILITIES.
- Address the letter to a specific person. If the advert doesn’t say, ring the company and ask who to send the letter to.
- Don’t forget to put the job title at the top of the letter and reference number where applicable.
- Your letter should expand on your CV and complement your career summary, which you will adapt for each job you apply for.
- Find relevant achievements in your work history and quote one or two succinctly and colourfully. It’s fine if you have also included them on your CV.
These top tips are taken from my book: How to get a job in a recession.
Posted in CVs
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
The covering letter is as important as your CV and you need to take the time to create a letter that’s effective. So many people miss out on the chance to reinforce why they are right for the job. Their covering letter is either very brief ‘Please find enclosed my CV. I look forward to hearing from you’ or too vague and full of stuff that’s irrelevant.
I’ve been sent two covering letters to review this past week. The first one was handwritten and over two sides of A5. Perhaps this person doesn’t have a home computer but as she was applying for a job as an administrator, it does give an impression of being uncomfortable with new technology. The second one was typed and I’m sure the person who wrote it had thought it was likely to be effective but the problem was that it wasn’t focused on the actual job. When we spoke she admitted that she has a general letter she uses for each job she applies for so it isn’t properly targeted.
The best way to start writing your covering letter is to look at the job ad and person spec and pick out what is key. For example:
The Job Ad
As a Supervisor, you will report directly to a Sales Manager and will be responsible for the day to day running of a multi million pound turnover department and its Sales team within the store which could include: Cosmetics, Accessories, Childrens wear, Menswear, Womens wear and Home. You will drive the highest levels of customer service at all times and ensure excellent product presentation and availability.
Skills
You will be a positive, confident and proactive individual who has a passion for selling and retail. Strong commercial skills are preferable with the ability to make effective decisions. You will have excellent communication, delegation and time management skills as well as being a proven leader who can motivate and coach people to achieve. Numeracy and computer literacy skills are essential.
So a great covering letter would address these points. Following on from an initial introduction you then address the points that have been highlighted such as:
Key aspects of my background include:
· Customer service: Demonstrated within my ability to put the customer first, no matter what the current work priority might be. I offered to drop off products at local elderly residents houses if they were unable to visit the store and provided a community atmosphere where customers were actively invited for their input into product selection.
· Product presentation: A naturally keen eye for presentation, ensured products and faced-up stock were replenished. Identified counter lines & products relating to current media attention in an easily accessible and identifiable presentation making full use of professional POS Material.
· Passion for selling and retail: with seven years of retail experience, I love to serve customers and to offer great value and exceptional service, thus making a profit.
I’ll be writing more on CVs tomorrow. In the meantime you may like to look at the help I can offer via my website: http://www.amazingpeople.co.uk/cvs.htm
Posted in CVs
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Friday, October 9th, 2009
You’ve found a job that seems perfect for you, you send off your CV and keep fingers crossed you get short listed. You wait, and after a week or so you get the letter, but it’s the regret to inform you letter. What’s gone wrong? It may be nothing to do with you
Sometimes it could be nothing to do with you. It may be outside of your control. You may not get short listed because the job is already filled but the company policy is such that they have to go through the motions of an advert. The ad has been placed by an agency or head hunters to get people on their books. Sometimes organisational changes may mean there is no longer a need for the job to be filled and of course other candidates more closely match the employers’ requirements.
Review your CV
However, you may also like to review your CV and see if it could be improved. Ask yourself:
• Does every word help to make the pitch?
• Does it grab attention in the first 10 seconds?
• Are you providing specific examples and not just vague descriptions? Be sure to give details on what you have achieved and include quantifiable results where you can. Don’t just write “I have excellent communication skills” but instead write: “Wrote jargon free user guide for 10,000 readers and got excellent feedback”.
Your CV will only get a minutes attention, so you must make it stand out! So let’s take a few steps back.
Posted in CAREER MANAGEMENT, CVs
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Thursday, June 18th, 2009
I regularly tell clients not to lie on their CV as if they get found out they can lose their jobs. That’s what has happened to Mhairi Creanor, a primary school teacher who was so keen to get a job that she made up false references and forged signatures to get a job. She even made phone calls, pretending to be an old employer and giving herself a very positive reference. This was not once, but 4 times in all.
What let her down was the number of spelling mistakes in her references.
This has led not to being struck off the teaching register for 12 months.
You can read the story here:
Posted in CVs
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