Advice from a Professional CV Writer

I was asked for a copy of my CV the other day and I just about broke out in a cold sweet.  Which is ridicules considering what I do for a living.  It made me realise what my clients go through before they decide to come and see me.

So what is a CV and why does this small document have the capacity to fill us with complete dread?

What is a CV?

The term Curriculum Vitae comes from a latin for meaning ‘Course of Life’.  A CV is a personal promotion tool.  It is referred to as a living document, in the senses that it should evolve and modify to suit the application being made.  A CV is a marketing tool, this means that principles found in marketing strategies can be applied to the document.  Think - Strategy, what is your objective? Is it for a promotion or an application to new organisation?  Think - Positioning, how are you portraying yourself and how will you be perceived by the prospective employer?  Finally, Think - Merchandising, how are you promoting and selling yourself?

There are many different formats a CV can take.  Personal websites are gaining traction as a means of advertising credentials.  However the standard format of between 2-4 pages in length depending on skills and application, simply presented, readable which makes relevant information easy to access, is still the most common presentation of a CV.

Graphic CVs, Online Profiles and CVs are an increasingly common format.  Once again it is about making the CV as relevant to the application as possible.  Check out what this guy did to get a job in GQ magazine.

What to include in your CV

Irrespective of the presentation, the content is what is most important, accuracy in spelling and grammar are essential.  Use a grammar checker to check for errors.  No exaggerations or miss representations.  Ensure the information is relevant to the application.  Ask yourself; Is it offering proof of your ability to do the job?  Does it include examples of you performing tasks and duties?  Is the document responsive to the job description?  Does it use relevant terminology?

Depending on the application being made a CV will go through a very different selection process.  It can involve computer programs which analyse CVs for strategic words and phrases. This means that language in a CV is very important.  It is suggested that reciters can spend as little as 6 seconds reviewing and making decisions on CVs .  Using concise statements with short sentences and verbs which help to convey your abilities will make it easy for the reader to learn about you.

Difficult to write your own CV

Why do we get the CV jitters when we need to use one.  My opinion is that its is often difficult to be objective with our own information.  When you are writing a CV you should ‘take the person out’.  Respond to the advert and job description.  What are the employers looking for?  What do they want the ideal candidate to be able to do?  Do not focus on your limitations promote what you can do.  Write brief to the point statements which explain your abilities.  Leave longer introductions for the interview.  A CV will offer a synopsis of you capabilities in relation to the role advertised.  It should not be a biography, leave that for you online profiles which have the ability to present more information.

Finally when you have something you feel you can use get it reviewed by someone who will be honest and constructive.  Alternatively, you can register for a Free Career Tree Guide or contact me Natalie from Career Tree and Grow Your Future.

5 Steps for Interview Success

Interview Success

Interviews are a great opportunity to learn more about the people and the organisation you want to work for.  They are the way that the perspective employer learns about you.  

However for many, interviews can be a daunting and stressful element in finding a new job.

Which is why it is essential to spend time preparing for the interview, as this is your opportunity to show yourself as the best candidate for the position.

So following these simple steps will help towards greater success in the interview.

Follow these simple steps

Step 1. Pre-Interview Preparation

What you do before the interview is as important as what you do in the interview.  Which means you need to take the time to plan, research and prepare.

Check and double check the location and time of the interview, allowing for traffic, parking and any other eventualities. 

Decided on a suitable outfit make sure its clean, pressed and,ready to go.  Make sure what you are wearing is appropriate the position you are applying for and the type of business you are working in.  This is particularly important if you know the employer or your current manager is interviewing you, it helps for them to see you in a different light.

Research the company, find out about them their mission; philosophy; project/work history, ask your network.  This information will help you to prepare answers and examples you will offer in response to the interview questions.

Step 2 Portraying Your General Skills and Abilities

There are general skills and attitudes which all employers look for and value in employees.  For example, flexibility, honesty, reliability, initiative or team membership.  You need to think about times when you have been flexible in your role, proven your reliability or commitment.  Take time to visualise yourself in your previous jobs ask yourself what solution did you use to solve a problem? These examples can come from all aspects of your life including sporting, church or community commitments.  Understand general skills and abilities and preparing suitable examples which demonstrate how you have reacted in different situations will enable you to present yourself confidently and competently.  Take into consideration qualities such as integrity or adaptability and conveying to the prospective employers how you would perform in the role

Step 3 How You Answer the Interview Questions

Ensuring you have some prepared answer to questions that discuss your ability to perform well in the job you are applying for is essential for interview success. Prepare examples which relate specifically to the role you are applying for and ensure you give evidence of your ability to fulfil the role requirements.  Well thought out answers to the questions will show the perspective employer your work-style. You might not have an insight into what the interviewers will ask, so spending time reviewing the job description will help you to find the key competencies and experience you will need to discuss.

For steps 2 and 3 the STAR acronym is the perfect tool to use to help prepare those answer.

Situation

Task

Action

Results

Step 4 How You Conduct Yourself Through the Interview

This step relates to your general manner, i.e. the way you sit, the tone you use to answer questions etc.  You need to be prepared to answer questions about your previous employment, why you left the role, your relationships with clients, colleagues and stakeholders.  During an interview, you need to remain calm, open, honest and approachable.  Never panic, become defensive or through another “under the bus”.  Using the above technique should help you to prepare answers which explain tricky situations.

Step 5 What Questions You Ask During the Interview

Normally towards the end of an interview, you are asked if you have any questions you would like to ask.  Whilst it is important for you to know what the remuneration package is or whether you might get a company vehicle.  Leave those question until you have been offered the role and are working out the employment package.  Instead take this opportunity to learn about your prospective employer's culture and how their staff interact and act at work, ask whether the staff have a social or sports group.  Find out why the role is vacant or newly established.  Ask the interviewers what their best moment has been with the employer.  Take this opportunity to find out if the organisation is going to fit with your values and the expectations you have of your employer.  There really are no wrongs to these questions.  It's simply trying to establish if you are the right employee for this employer. 

Take time to consider what is important for you in the workplace.  Think about the type of relationship you want with your employer and work colleagues, think about how you want your working day or night to look like? 

Take the time to prepare for interviews that way you can rest assured you have put your best foot forward.

If you have any questions or would like to talk more about Interviews please do not hesitate to contact me and Grow Your Future.

Simple tips for Interview Success

Feed Back for Career Tree

Let's Animate - Gemma Foy

Career Tree were a recommendation from a friend and I shall definitely recommend to my friends.

Natalie helped with updating my CV and created a Covering Letter, the process was very straight forward and simple. I sent over the information of my business via email and within a few days, a CV and Cover Letter were produced, this alleviated the stress and panic of doing it myself.

I was over the moon with what had been created, Natalie pinned down my business exactly and projected everything I wanted to say, I could not have achieved the result without her help.

Writing is not a strong point of mine, especially when it’s about myself. I now have confidence and feel proud to be doing what I do.

I'm based in the UK, Natalie was very professional to produce what she did without meeting me or talking to me on the phone, all communication was done via email.

Thank You Natalie for all of your hard work,

Gem

Introducing Me

Natalie - Career Practitioner at Career Tree

Career Tree work with clients in many ways, face to face, over the telephone, video conferencing both nationally and internationally.  Which means that I never actually get to shake the hand of some of my clients or look them in the eye.  For some, making changes in their employment, discussing themselves, their history or writing a CV with a voice on the end of a telephone can be daunting and quite unnatural.  So for that reason I thought I would introduce myself and explain in a little more detail why Career Tree exists and what my clients get from working with me.

So to keep it simple I asked myself three questions, here are the answers.

Why do you work in Career Guidance?

I have always had an interest in what makes people work, why do we do the things we do.  Second I enjoy helping others. I derive real enjoyment from helping others achieve goals.  When I discovered the world of Career Guidance I knew I was home.  I had found my calling so to speak.  I submerged and challenged myself to learn as much as I could about the industry I want to grow in. I appreciate the opportunity to be part of a process that is restorative, engaging and positive.  

How do you work with your clients?

My practice is very client orientated.  I am not there to tell clients what they should be doing or what changes they need to make.  Each service is created around what they need to do to make their goals possible.  As a Career Practitioner I offer an objective view on the situation.  I have trained and educated myself with techniques and theories that help clients to decide on the best possible choices they can make.  One of the best parts of my job as a Career Guidance Practitioner is the process of writing CVs.  This document can often be the source of great frustration and an obstacle for many when looking for a new job.  I love them!  Having a great CV can be the boost many people need and give them a greater understanding of what they have to offer an employer and what they would like to be doing for a job.  Mix that with an effective job search strategy and some interview coaching and clients are ready to do what they really want to do for work.  My practice is centred on assisting clients to discover what their values and interest are and start designing a career that represents what is important to them.

How does it feel to be helped by you?

My hope is that the clients I work with feel empowered to make the choices and changes that allow them to do the things that are important to them.  Clients that engage me to write a CV often report on the fast professional service they receive.  Clients that use Career Tree for interview coaching report that they feel more confident and see the interview process as a way of them assessing the perspective employer. Checking them for suitability and match, levelling the playing field so to speak.  When developing job search strategies with the client we focus on what type of organisation they want to work for and create a plan that is specific to the way those organisations look for new employees.  All the services at Career Tree respond to the individual needs of the client.

I hope you have enjoyed learning more about me and Career Tree.  If you have any questions or queries about how I can help you please do not hesitate to contact me and Grow Your Future.

Update your CV

I am often asked by people what is the best way to start looking for a new job?

 In my opinion I think updating your CV is the very best first step you can take.

Why? Simply by reviewing what you have done, where and when will allow you to realise what skills, abilities and expiernce you have and what you take to a perspective employer.

Realising your own value in the work place will put you in a good position to assess, what you want to do for work and who you want to work for.

The best sales people know their product and market it accordingly.  You should view your CV/ Resume as your personal marketing document and market your self according to what you value and are interested in.

If you would like help with your CV then contact Career Tree.  Grow Your Future.

How do you measure up?

I stumbled across this great chart which depicts how some of the worlds greatest thinkers spend their time.

The developers of this chart, podio.com,  took the information from diaries and records to derive an approximate time frame.

The inquisitive me whats to know what the other is.  

Want to develop a better work routine? Discover how some of the world's greatest minds organized their days.
Click image to see the interactive version (via Podio).

So True!