Is
your Curriculum Vitae:
WELL-RESEARCHED?
Candidates
who make it to the short list are those who have
the appropriate experience, qualifications and
personal attributes for the job. But for a hotly-contested
position, you may be one of dozens of applicants
who fulfil those criteria.
How
do employers whittle it down to the last few?
They are looking or those who display professionalism
and enthusiasm from the stamp and address
on the envelope inwards.
"I
am a serious, professional contender for this
job. I have taken the time and trouble to find
out about your industry, your organisation,
you and your concerns."
That
is the impression you must convey to the employer
as (s)he reads your document.
"I
don't give a damn what your name is, I haven't
bothered to find out anything about your company,
here's my standard, photocpied CV - take it
or leave it."
Whom
would you short-list?
You
need to find out a great deal in order to be able
to tailor your CV this way. Think of it in the
light of this extreme example - you have decided
to take a career change and you are either going
to be a landscape gardener or an astronaut. Do
you imagine for one moment that a generic CV about
you and your background is going to get you to
interview?
Those
two CVs need to be closely tailored to the concerns
of the Parks Service and NASA respectively - so
tailored that if you get the wrong CV in the wrong
envelope, you definitely won't get called to interview
...
Same
person, same backgound, same education and same
experience, but different aspects of that mix
are going to appeal to different employers.
That
is your challenge. If your CV says, "Hire
me, because I am the answer to your prayers"
[and it should]
doesn't it make sense to know what the reader
is praying for?
For
more on the subject of representing yourself in
writing, we also have some thoughts you might
find useful on the topic of cover
letters and submitting an application
form.
And
here's an extract
from Where's My Oasis? that discusses
many of the mistakes we see people making at the
written stage.
