Quality of a CV

Last week, I received a call from a job consultant about a job opening in the marketing department of a reputed firm. I stood there shell-shocked for the very reason that I had shifted my area of work from marketing to the IT sector a couple of years back. And now there was this person asking me about something that I had abandoned quite sometime ago.

Something flashed across my mind. I immediately asked him as to what made him call me for that vacancy. He replied that hed got hold of my resume and had decided to call me instantly. Something then hit me. What if major companies had been looking at my outdated resume from the same source as this job consultant? I thought of the numerous opportunities that I had let go the past years.

In human resources jargon, a resume that is continually updated is known as a living resume. Apart from a resume being updated, the quality of a resume also depends on a host of other factors as well which have been discussed as follows.

1) Addressing The Needs Of The Employer: It is always a good idea to take a close look at the job profile requirements and tweaking your CV accordingly. This ensures that your CV is always the closest match to the employers needs. Though drafting a resume for every job requirement might be time consuming, it goes a long way in helping your resume being easily selected. Remember, drafting the best CV is about selling what people actually need.

2) CV Style: There are various CV styles that you may want to adopt while drafting one. For instance, you can use a chronological style that simply lists all the jobs you that you have done in a chronological order. A functional CV on the other hand is one which emphasises your skills and abilities and the kind of job responsibilities that you have handled in the past.

3) The Kiss Principle: Your employer might not have all the time to scrutinize your CV. Keep It Short and Sweet. It is like someone presenting you the crux of the matter when you dont have the time to go through the entire story.

4) Words to Add to Your CV: Employers usually look out for candidates who are team players, flexible and self-motivated. Adding these words in your resume can make it stand out among the crowd.

5) Words to Avoid in Your CV: Avoid the usage of negative words and phrases which could create a bad opinion about you. Also, avoid the usage of pronouns such as I, you etc., as these tend to stand out clearly in bad taste. Keep your CV as simple as possible using down-to-earth language.

Companies That Help You Prepare A CV

When you are not sure of drafting an effective resume, you always have the option of having someone doing it for you. There are many firms in the job market today that can help you prepare an effective CV, the way the employers want. Job consultants and HR firms today offer additional add-on or mainline services of preparing the most sought after CVs that can send you on a roller-coaster ride in your job search. All that they need are a few pounds and of course, your details. These services are also available online. They help to prepare CVs faster and at competitive prices.

Your CV is the first point of entry into an organisation. So be sure to prepare one that is able to capture the attention of your interviewers and create a good first impression.

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are thinking of applying for a new job or embarking on a new career, having a high quality CV is essential, for more information and professional guidance, see www.my-cv.net