CV MUSTS

If you've been following my blog you'll know what NOT to do with your CV. Now here are those MUSTS for your Curriculum Vitae that will give you the best chance to get that interview.

Of course, already you have noted the DONTS.

You make your CV different from the others by defining clearly what your achievements in your jobs have been. These are where you have added value to your employer and made that organisation operate more effectively and efficiently. They are much more powerful statements about you than just a list of your responsibilities in your job.

How do you create a statement on your CV that will develop into your achievement? Use the STAR process as follows:-

S - ituation
T - ask
A - ction
R - esult

Get figures in there, real quantifiables and outcomes - and write them and rewrite them and rewrite them. Think about examples of when you have completed a successful project. Have you ever been seconded into a role? Have you increased profits? Have you maximised turnover? Have you changed policies or procedures with positive outcomes? Have you been promoted? Have you received awards?

ACHIEVEMENTS, ACHIEVEMENTS, ACHIEVEMENTS. Get them written well and they will sell you to the reader and get you that interview.

You must write your CV grammatically correct with no spelling mistakes. No excuses nowadays with spellcheck on your PC.

Keep your CV to 2 pages, and certainly no more than 3.

You must cover your complete employment history for the last ten years at least. You don't need to have exact months of employment but at least the years. Be prepared to explain at interview the reason for any gaps.

Your CV is what gets you that interview so you must get it right. Otherwise you don't get the interview and don't get that job.

Getting somebody else to help you to write the CV is always a good idea. They can help you, or force you, to be more strict on your achievements and make them strong sellers for you. They can challenge you on the contents because you are probably too close to the information and detail to be over critical of what you have written about yourself. Us British are always loathe to talk openly about ourselves and putting it all down in a Curriculum Vitae is like the worst nightmare for us.

I have read and written many CV's in my time in the Human Resources profession and I'm always here to advise and help.

Next up we turn ourselves to that Job Interview process. The first part of that Blog will be online soon.

(c) Iain Williamson 16.1.10

CV DONT'S

In yesterday's blog, I impressed upon you how important your Curriculum Vitae is in your job search. It's your business card and your first point of contact with your potential new employer and so it has to get you that job interview. Without the job interview, you can't get the job!!!


Tomorrow I will tell you the best tips for writing a top-notch CV for yourself.


Today, I want to give you some advice on the don'ts of your CV. It's not just about the things you don't need to include but also about the content to avoid.


The biggest and most appropriate message is that whatever you write in your CV, it must be truthful and not lies. Lies will always catch you out in the end - so they are a definite NO NO.


Don't have an excessively long CV - try to get all the information you want to convey on to no more than 2 pages of A4. Anything more than that and you will risk the recruiter not wanting to read all your information and the risk then is that you go in the pile that is named "No interview".


Don't send a Curriculum Vitae with spelling mistakes. There is no excuse nowadays when you can spellcheck the document before you complete it. So even you do not need to be the best at spelling because your PC can do it for you.


Do not waste your time on fancy fonts or coloured paper UNLESS you're applying for a role that implies a bit of artistic ability. Play safe and use white paper and an acceptable type face such as Arial or Times New Roman. But don't make it too small a font that it is difficult to read!!!


Don't use your work email or telephone number as contact details. Your current employer might not be happy that you are leaving and then using their email system is not good business etiquette. Over and above that, what if your employer accesses your email for whatever reason and finds out that way. Embarrassment all round.


And, of course, if you urgently leave employment all your contacts and details are going to be delivered to a mailbox you no longer have access to. Think about it.


Don't put the names and addresses of Referees on the CV. You can give all that information at a later date when your new employer needs them.


Don't mention anything to do with your age, your state of health, your Religion or anything that potentially, however unlikely you might feel it would be, could leave a negative impact on the reader. Only have those details if the recruitment procedure asks for it. Clearly there would have to be legal reasons for the employer asking for such information at this stage of the process.


Don't mention reasons why you are leaving your current employer or have left previous employers. You can explain all of those reasons at interview. Telling them in advance could also be a reason for a recruiter to say no to interview.


Don't include a photograph of yourself in the CV, unless the recruiter specifically asks for it.


Don't have gaps of time in your CV. It is always something that arouses suspicion so if you do have to have gaps you should be prepared to answer why or what was happening during that period.


Don't make up information about periods of employment or employers. Remember most employers will check references and some particular roles will be subject to Criminal Record checks and maybe even financial probity checks.


I don't want you to get depressed reading all these DON'TS. Turn them into positives for your CV and add them to all the information in tomorrows blog and you will have the building blocks for an ace Curriculum Vitae.


So come back tomorrow for the latest instalment in preparing your CV.

(c) Iain Williamson 10.1.09

First Impressions

We all know the saying that first impressions count and that is equally true when you apply for a job. It is well recognised that recruiting managers familiarise themselves with a Curriculum Vitae and make decisions on it in less than 30 seconds.

So now you can see why it is important in your job search that you present yourself in the best light otherwise you won't even get past the first hurdle and be offered an interview. Your CV is your Business Card and is what lands in the recruiters inbox so you need to have it selling you with its powerful impact. It needs to make you stand out from the others and clearly highlight how you are better than the rest and are going to add value to the new organisation where you are going to work. And achievements, achievements, achievements.

Your CV is what creates the first impression of you for the recruiter so you need to show your professional gravitas instantly. You need to make it as attractive as you can for the recruiter.

So come back to the blog tomorrow for all those CV writing tips that you can't do without. This is the best place to get them and prepare yourself for the hard task of getting that dream job you want to get in 2010.

(c) Iain Williamson 9.1.10

Inclement Weather

Here we go again - Bad weather strikes!!! Britain grinds to a halt as the snow and freezing weather takes even more of a grip. Airports close down, motorways shut and other major and minor roads become impassible and the advice is to stay at home if you possibly can. Keep warm in front of the fire and stay safe.

But for a Human Resource Manager you know what the question will be - My staff can't get in to work today, what do I do?

There is no easy answer to that one and, inevitably, those who manage to get to work after trudging through the snow for hours on end, will see things differently from those employees who have not been able to get to work at all.

Many companies nowadays will have a policy on dealing with such matters but as always its better if you have some sort of policy in place to manage such situations. Then at least everybody will have some idea of where the goal posts are.

In simple legal terms, employees are obliged to turn up for work in terms of their contracts of employment. So even in extreme conditions you would be within your rights not to pay somebody who had not been able to come to work because of the conditions or public transport was off.

But doing this might have negative impacts on the workforce. This is all about employee engagement. Think of different ways of managing this - how about taking annual leave or using flexitime?, could the employee work the hours at a later date?, could the employee work from home? As a manager and an employee you have different viewpoints.

The "good news" for you as an employer is that your competitors are probably also struggling to get their staff to work so if you can gain any sort of advantage in getting staff to work in the office or the factory, or work from remote sites, you will see benefits later. You must avoid that unnecessary downtime.

A clear message is that there's no definite answer how to manage staff in circumstances like these. As you can see from the photo above, it has been snowing here overnight and it continues to snow as I write this in the afternoon.

(c) Iain Williamson 5.1.10

Economic News

It was the first day back at work after Christmas and New Year for many today unless you live in Scotland where it was an extra Bank Holiday - it takes us Scottish folk such a long time to celebrate and recover from New Year!!!

And there was good news for the rest of us. Assuming you can wait for it, there will be an extra Bank Holiday for us all in 2012. A special Bank Holiday has been announced for Monday 4th June 2012 to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the normal late Spring Bank Holiday will be delayed until Tuesday 5th June - so a 4 day long weekend.

The other good news on the financial markets front is that, on the first day of trading, rises were seen everywhere across the globe. The FTSE 100 Index hit a 16 month high and the German and French indexes closed ahead. In the US, the Dow Jones was up 1.3% on early trading whilst the Nikkei in Japan reached a 15 month high.

There has also been some positive economic date from Europe, China and the US to bolster the general mood. The UK saw its manufacturing pace of growth at its highest for two years and the Chinese manufacturing data grew by the largest amount for five years.

Nonetheless, it's not all good news. There's a possibility that the world's central banks might not feel the need to support the bank systems as strongly as they have done in recent times and we could see interest rates tighten with a knock on effect on stock markets.

(c) Iain Williamson 4.1.10

Resolutions

And so 2010 arrives and it's time for making resolutions for the coming year. Most people make them and by the end of January they have long forgotten what they had said they would stop doing or start doing!!!! And why does that happen? Because very often the target set is unrealistic and unachievable and so the decision, unaware as it might be, to discontinue the resolution is really likely to happen.

For 2010 though this is to be your year. So make resolutions that are achievable and realistic. That will ensure you keep your focus and manage the "difficult" times that lie ahead. Being strong and positive in the face of what appear to be troubled waters will help you and others around you; remember your wife, husband or partner wants you to succeed in all that you are trying to do.

Don't forget that you can share things with them. They can give you support and advice and help you through. Yes they might be biased - but they are good for you!!! They can help you disregard negative thoughts and show you and remind you that you are the best.

All of this advice is helpful too in terms of managing your work life. You must share your work life with your wife, husband or partner and not keep them separate from that. It is good for them to understand what is happening and be your shoulder of support.

Especially in times of recession and potential for job loss, you need somebody to remind you that you are not to blame for what is happening - and they will bring you back to reality when needed. And if you do lose your job, you will need their support in that job search.

I know that my wife, My Roxy, will always support me in everything I strive to do. She cajoles me, she gives me ideas, she suggests things, she is my major confidante. We all need one.

(c) Iain Williamson 2.1.10

Seasons Greetings

Folks it is 2010. The old decade is gone and the new year is here.

And this year I promise more updates and more detailed content for you in this blog.

I will keep you up to date with business and HR issues and cut straight to the important information for you. This blog will become your must read.

But for the first blog of the year, I want to tell you why the updates have been missing.


Well, on the 11th December 2009 I was busy getting married to Roxy - the first and only Mrs Williamson. We tied the knot at 11.00 (local time) in a very beautiful and special ceremony in Chisinau. She looked fantastic and for me is the best. She is fantastic.

And now, as well as business and HR issues, I will also look to publish on financial issues.

Best wishes to you and yours for 2010 and the new decade. Make this your year.

(C) Iain Williamson 1.1.10