Top 3 Tips on HOW to write a CV that gets you a job!
Hello 2018!
New Year- a lot of exciting opportunities and for many of us hope that this will be a year when we get our dream job!
Job that makes you jump out of bed every morning excited for a day ahead, job where you can showcase your skills and talents and where you feel appreciated for it! Job where you make a difference, where your opinion matters and where you earn what you deserve and more 😃 How exciting, hey?
There is a slight caveat to this story though- the very initial excitement we have at the beginning of the year usually fades pretty quickly and turns into frustration and boredom at best. Scrolling through job boards, writing and re-writing your CV, countless applications, disappointments and frustrations when we dont get the interview, or even feedback from the job we applied for and we know we can definitely do.
I’ve been through this process way too many times in my early career, so if you ever wonder how not to get disheartened from “ Unfortunately, you havent been successful at this time”, I am your girl 😃 . I’ve also seen so many candidates that were more than capable of succeeding at the particular job but their CV didnt reflect that at all!
It is true that we often underestimate a power of CV. I mean, we all know it is important but we focus on our experience and education only, hoping that it will be enough and hoping that once we get to the interview we will be able to show the employer we are perfect for THAT job! But hope itself won’t get you the job and unfortunately the journey starts with your CV 😃. It is the first thing employer would look at and if you dont make your CV reflect fully who you are, the chances are you will end up in “you have been successful on this occasion” club.
So how to change it? How to write a CV that gets you a job and make the whole process more enjoyable? Is it possible?
YES, it is 😃 Here are my top 3 tips on how to make sure your CV stands out and gives you the best chances to succeed:
#1. Your CV should answer a question: WHY they should hire me?
Why YOU, not others should get that job! How your experience, skills, values and personality traits match what potential employer is looking for. What value can you add to the potential employer and how would you contribute to their success? Many of my clients answer this question in the cover letter only, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Many employers see only your CV at first, so by answering this question in your cover letter, you might miss the boat. Make it relevant, make it specific, speak their language and show your personality through every word you use in your CV!
#2. Your summary/profile is your sales pitch!
Do NOT, like ever, forget about it! It is your chance to stand out from the other candidates and yes, it is your pitch for the job. The no longer than five sentence statement should be a punchy summary of your unique strenghts, talents and experiences that will make you succeed at the job and add value to the company. It is not time to be humble, doubt yourself, or be lacking self- confidence! Think about your main skills that help you overcome challenges and difficult conversations, situations when you clearly stood out from your colleagues. What is that you always get a great feedback on and what are you usually complimented about? What is that you love doing? This is worth spending your time on, believe me! It is probably the most difficult part of your CV but if you get it, your life will be so much easier :).
#3. Focus on your achievements, NOT a job description.
Remember, make it relevant, don't list all things you did in your previous jobs! Pick up the most important ones! Focus on what you achieved and what would be relevant to your potential employer- talk about tangible results, increased revenue, sales, successful management of teams, innovation, change, improvements. Talk about the projects you managed and why it was successful under your supervision. Talk about the value you added, the difference you made, the solutions you provided. For every skill you list, ask yourself: WHY you say you have it and what example could you give to illustrate that? Why were you great team player, why you say you are creative, organised and think outside of the box?
And the most important - the tip #4 😃, yes, it is a bonus :)- Don’t be too hard on yourself!
CV writing is a skill- no one teaches us how to write an effective CV and how to translate our brilliance on a piece on paper that shouldn’t be longer than 2 pages- 😃 this is not true BTW, it should be relevant! Yes, practice makes perfect, but only when you get feedback and know how to improve. And majority of times apart from “ You haven’t been successful” we dont get much more. So I hope that this first step will really help you create a CV that makes you get that job, or promotion you want and deserve, yes you do!
However, if you still not sure how to implement it, I am here to help and have a very special gift for YOU. CV revision, finding out your unique strengths and building CV that reflects YOU is what I offer in my “Your Next Step” programme. And this month I offer it at a very special price to help anyone who is reading this blog to find a job they love. Contact me via Brand YOU website, or click here to find out more about the programme!
I am so looking forward to hear from you and wish you all the luck with your search! We all deserve to have a job that not only pays the bills, but the one that brings the best out of us and we love!
To your success!
Love,
Justyna x