CV 4 Jobs

As much as I preach and offer CV advice about the subject I still come across jobseekers that are sending the exact same CV for all jobs without tweaking or amending it. They leave the CV Layout, CV Format & CV Content the same. If this is you – then your job hunting is flawed and you will miss out on important interviews. Jobseekers with a general CV that they send to all jobs are saying to the recruiters – I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU WANT!!

CV Advice – Employer focused CV

As soon as you accept that every job is different and each employer is different you will appreciate that your CV must also be different and amended for each job you apply for. This could be major overhaul BUT it could also be minor tweaking. If an employer does not see what they want to in a short space of time they will file your CV under “B” for BIN

CV Advice – No pain no gain

Yes this will make the application process that little bit more time consuming BUT who said job hunting was easy. When you begin tailoring your CV for particular jobs then you will start to see increases in positive results.

If you need help and CV advice a professional can help.

You invest time into writing your CV and now feel you have a document that will make an impact and get you interviews. A strong CV will help but it is only part of the process for securing interviews. You have to distribute your CV. Easy you might say but you would be surprised how many individuals I meet who can’t seem to find jobs and manage their job search ineffectively. Below are some of the key channels to explore.

Recruitment Agencies

This is a popular resource for jobseekers as it takes the hard work out of finding a job. Send your CV off to an agency and sit back and wait for the interviews. There are some important points to remember when dealing with agencies. You need to find the right agencies for your skills so you must research the market. A tip to find suitable agencies is to see what agencies are advertising for your skills on the job boards and or you can ask for recommendations from friends or work colleagues. You must also try to meet the recruiter and build a relationship. A final point is to take the initiative and keep in touch with your recruiter(s). They may not have a job for you immediately and you cannot assume that they will call when they get a suitable job. Agencies house thousands of CV’s and recruiters vary in ability.

Job boards

CV databases are an increasingly popular tool offered by job boards in Ireland. You submit your CV to the job board database and the job board will offer this database to employers as part of their service. This is still in its infancy in Ireland and I question how many recruiters or employers actually put the effort in to searching the databases. If you want a good database try this job board.

Sending out speculative CV’s

It has been many moons since I heard of a jobseeker walking the local industrial estates and distributing CV’s. With the market tightening in Ireland this practice may return. If you cannot find suitable jobs online, with agencies or in the papers then go and look for them. This is a time consuming approach BUT an option all the same.

If you need help with CV distribution or you want professional advice on job search strategies in Ireland why not seek help from an expert. Help jobseekers nationwide – Dublin, Meath, Louth, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Sligo and all other counties.

Why do CV’s get rejected?

There are many reasons why a CV can be rejected by the employer and this post will examine some of those reasons.

CV has poor visual layout

Employers need to be able to find information quickly. You may use the correct wording, grammar and language but if it is difficult to find the information the employer will move onto the next CV. You should have plenty of “white space” on your CV, you should have clear headers and ideally use bullet points. Use white paper and uniform font and font size.

CV that is too long

I normally suggest that individuals try to keep a CV to two pages, unless a client requests that you provide a longer CV. If you find it difficult keeping your CV to two pages you are obviously writing the CV for you and you have not understood what the client is looking for. Remember employers only want to read information that is relevant for them and their recruitment needs.

CV that gives a poor first impression

Like most things in life first impressions count – this is also true for CV’s. You have a 20-30 second window to make an impact. Fail to deliver and fail to get an interview. An employer may have a pile of CV’s to review. Place the information that matters on the first page. Do not leave it to chance that an employer will read to the end of your CV

If you need help with preparing an impact CV why not seek the help of a professional.

Many jobseekers are reactive when it comes to job hunting. When I say this I mean is that they rely on recruitment agencies or job board and sit back and wait for the interviews to roll in. Great if it is working (there are some great job boards in Ireland) but what if you are not experiencing positive results. You have a number of options;

1. Keep doing the same thing – BUT you will keep getting the same results!!
2. Try a different approach when dealing with agencies or search the job boards.
3. Try a proactive approach.

What is proactive job hunting?

There are a number of possible strategies available including speculative CV’s. Here are some tips if you are following this strategy.

Take a focused approach –target an industry sector or a geography region. Approaching this strategy in an ad hoc manner can prove fruitless.

Bypass HR – Sending a speculative CV to Human Resources can prove a waste of time. Although recruitment is managed by the department they may not be completely aware of what is happening in departments. For example the Finance Manager may know that an accountant has just handed in notice or that it has been agreed with the Directors to increase headcount and this information has not reached HR.

Focused cover letter – A generic cover letter will lose impact. Find out the name of the department manager and address it to him/her directly.

Follow Up – Follow up with the person you have sent the CV to. Prepare short sales pitch for the call.

This article was provide by Paul Mullan a CV expert in Ireland.