Professional CV making service

Hi gumdigger

I am the MD of CV.CO.NZ and have some good general CV tips for you:

Ten Tips To Make Your CV Work For You!!!

Tip One

Your CV is your brochure - It must sell your skills, achievements and experience to the reader!

Companies spend millions of dollars to create professional brochures that market their products to their target markets. Your CV is your brochure - It must sell you to employers as a travel brochure sells you to travel to Sydney!

It must highlight the key points that meet the employer's requirements!

It must be brief, but have enough information to sell you (I.e. 2-4 pages)

Tip Two

Quantify your achievements and what you can offer - For example imagine if Tiger Woods wrote his resume stating:

Occupation:                                     Golfer

Responsibilities:                     Hit ball

                                                Hit ball again

                                                Tap ball lightly

                                                Tap ball into hole

- this would not sell him to potential employers!!! It does not demonstrate his immense value and achievements that stem from this seemingly mundane activity!

Tip Three

Tailor the CV to the role! - It is pointless marketing yourself to an employer, if you are not meeting the requirements of what they are seeking in an employee. When a top tailor makes a suit for a client, they take measurements to ensure it will fit the client perfectly. Therefore remember to always tailor your whole approach for the position you are applying. This will significantly increase your chances for reaching the interview stage.

I.e. You want to ensure that the key aspects and keywords in the advertisement or position description are ‘mirrored’ in everything you send and do!

If an advertisement states that an employer is seeking an “honest and focused individual”, you could state that you are a “person with integrity, who focuses on setting and achieving business goals”.

Tip Four

Cheak yoru speling!!! - Nothing says I am unprofessional more than "I am always sure to ot the Is and cross the Ts." (Yes this really happened in a CV sent to me!)

Tip Five

Make it look nice. Search on the internet and seek out some cool templates, but remember to not use too much colour or generally speaking pictures (unless it's of your work).

Tip Six

Audit your message presence

Check your personal voicemail message and your email address

A poor email address can destroy any chance you have with employment. Anything sexual (sexyboy123@hotmail), too personality driven (funkyfunchick@hotmail) or stupid (just_a_mess_81@hotmail) is a NO GO!

If you want to have a fun address, make sure you also set up a work only email too so you can check this periodically during your job hunt.

Your mobile / home voicemail address can also be poor quality. Check this to ensure it is also professional.

Tip Seven

Audit your internet presence

Check your personal websites

Recent statistics state that approximately 25% of employers check online site such as Bebo, Facebook, MySpace etc. prior to making an employment offer.

Tip Eight

Get proactive and knock on doors (both figuratively and literally)

Statistics state that less than 25 per cent of all vacancies are ever advertised.   This leaves the field wide open for those who are prepared to do a little more than scan the jobs vacant websites.

Make a list of key companies you would like to work for and approach them direct!

This may include firms close to where you live, because many small / medium companies like to employ local people. Or take your pick of the top firms in your field of interest and contact them directly.

This approach to job hunting is called "cold calling" and it puts candidates in the driving seat. You scan the employment market - rather than the job market - and directly approach firms you want to work for. However it takes a lot of initiative and determination.

Tip Nine

Spend time and be professional in your record keeping

All your hard work may well be lost however if you do not take a disciplined approach to record keeping. It is vital to know where and when you sent all your applications to.

The recruiter / HR person will assume that you work like you job hunt. Therefore if you seem to be disorganized or not proactive, they will see your skills in the same light.

Tip Ten

Use your own personal and business networks to spread the word!

Surprisingly most people in New Zealand know each other through probably 3-5 degrees of separation.

Therefore ensure your networks know that you are seeking a new position.

People trust their friends, therefore if you are referred to an employer by a friend, you come with a higher level of trust than others who just come of the street!

Networks include:

Schools, Clubs, Church, Toastmasters, Rotary, Lions, Local employers, Dog training etc…

Hope this helps! If you are after a free assessment of you CV, please email me on tom@cv.co.nz or give me a bell on (09) 235 8484.

Tom O'Neil   B.Soc.Sci.(Psych)

Managing Director

CV.CO.NZ

gumdigger

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NonprayingMantis

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TomONeil