The Art of Selling YOURSELF (General Comments)

Member Name: mattygroves10

Product:	General Comments
Date:	21/11/05 (367 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Keep your CV up to date - even if you're not looking for work

Disadvantages: It can be hard to make a good impression when you feel useless

Like many other people, I have been made redundant. Twice. The first time, I had all the assurances that it was nothing that I did or didn't do, that I'm a wonderful employee and even better person, and that 'when one door closes another opens' and other handy yet oh-so-annoying cliches.

I hated the job. They paid me off. I should be happy, right? I should have seen it coming, no? Well, I wasn't happy, and yes, I should have seen it coming (I was bored to tears), and true, I did take it personally. After all, I'm the main wage earner - I'm supporting myself, my daughter and my husband. Of course I was upset. But, hey, life goes on.

I got another job. This one also didn't work out - the management were bullies. I complained - again, they paid me to go (not bad after 4 months!). Yet again, the search went on.

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So the Job Hunt Began
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Almost. I sulked for a few days. It was a really bad week (but that's another story). I wallowed in self pity. Finally, I realised I didn't have the luxury of a long wallow. Time to do something about it.

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My CV revised
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After sulking, the first thing I did was revise and update my CV. Remember, your CV is the first thing a potential employer will see, and first impressions count.

¤¤¤ POINT 1 ¤¤¤
I keep mine to no longer than two pages (the reader falls asleep after that) - even if I have to summarise or drop previous jobs (after all, how interested is an employer in every temporary job I did since I was 21?).

¤¤¤ POINT 2 ¤¤¤
Never, ever, ever trash a previous employer or role (this also holds true for the interview). Make the most of what you did - if you were the chief cup and bottle washer, you had 'responsibility for ensuring the efficient provision of containers' (OK, that's an exageration, but you get the idea).

¤¤¤ POINT 3 ¤¤¤
DON'T lie. Slight exaggeration is one thing, outright lies will trap you. Can you remember all the details of the lie? Will you be able to remain consistent? Will your previous employers back you up when asked for a reference? I don't think so. Your CV should have at least a sibling relationship to the truth.

¤¤¤ POINT 4 ¤¤¤
If, like me, you get fired or made redundant, or simply quit because the average IQ of the office staff was around 10, you might be wise to wait a few days before updating your CV. It's much harder to remember the good parts of your job, the real responsibilities you had, and your successes if you are crying into your cornflakes.

Better yet, keep your CV constantly up to date, even if you're not currently looking for another job. That way, if you get an unpleasant surprise, you are prepared with very little additional CV effort on your part.

¤¤¤ POINT 5 ¤¤¤
List your jobs in reverse order, with the most recent job at the top of the first page. I know, this is obvious, but when I handled recruitment, you won't BELIEVE some of the rubbish I saw. Your name, address and contact details should always be first, but additional information should be last - for example, my CV includes my date of birth, my nationality and the fact that I have a clean drivers licence. Whilst a potential employer may need to know all these things, I don't really want the first thing they learn about me to be is that I am a XX year old American who can drive!

¤¤¤ POINT 6 ¤¤¤
If you have space, include a summary about yourself just before the most recent employment. Mine includes my software skills and other abilities. Remember, people tend to skim these documents, and many will read just the beginning and the end, especially if the CV was sent unsolicited.

¤¤¤ POINT 7 ¤¤¤
If you can, customise your CV for the job to which you are applying. Again, this doesn't mean lying, but rather emphasising those skills that are relevant for the job.

¤¤¤ POINT 8 ¤¤¤
Include a few hobbies. I don't mean wax lyrical about your thimble collection, but name a few things that interest you. Mine reads Baseball, Science, Reading and Music. I know this bit will sound twee and false, but if you can, include a team sport if you will be working in a team. It looks good. I don't play baseball (but I'm a METS fan - go Mets), but I include it since the other activities I list are seemingly soiltary. I don't want to look like a sad and lonely Anorak, now, do I?

This is especially relevant if you are applying for a high level sales job. Sales Directors (especially men, sorry boys) LOVE to see that you are engaged in an intensely competitive activity. If you won the Podunk County Hockey MVP of the year, say so. Crow about it. Brag.

¤¤¤ POINT 9 ¤¤¤
PROOFREAD. Check your spelling, check your tenses. (This one is an easy mistake to make during updates. Perhaps when you wrote the document, you used the present tense because you were still working there. However, you may have now amended it to the past tense. Make sure you change verbs, nouns and pronouns as necessary). A CV that is full of errors will probably be filed - in the bin.

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OK, My CV is the bees knees, what next?
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I Don't Know Where to Start - can someone help? Or - Agencies Explained
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I am a firm believer in the power and usefulness of recruitment agencies, but with caution. Be clear on what type of work you want, and, perhaps more importantly, what you WON'T do. For example, I can type at 70 words plus a minute. I do NOT wish to type for a living. Agencies would love to put me forward for every secretarial job going. You must be straight with your agency. There is no point wasting your time, their time and the potential employer's time going through the CV and interview process for a job you don't want.

Make sure that the agency with whom you are registering can provide the type of work you do. If you are looking for nursing work, there is no point visiting an office or accounts specialist.

Be very clear how much you expect to earn. Otherwise, the agency will offer you every filing clerk job going, even if you have been an Account Director with an MBA and an IQ of 180.

HOWEVER, BE REALISTIC. In other words, if you are 18 years old with next to no office experience, don't expect to walk into an executive PA job at £25,000 per year. Do a bit of research - how much is the market paying for people of your skills and experience?

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Yeah, but I've seen this GREAT job in the paper and don't want to use an agency...OR - Cutting Out the Middleman
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1. Read the ad. Some companies won't take CVs - you need to send off for an application. Make sure you're still within the closing date. Find out the contact name. Do they want the CV mailed, emailed or faxed? Show that you can follow directions when necessary. Read the ad.

2. If you are sending your CV direct, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS include a cover letter. The cover letter says as much about you as the CV does. Many people won't even read a CV without one. You can use the cover letter to highlight special skills that may not be in your CV (for example, if you're applying to train people on software, you may want to mention that you taught your mother to use the mail merge feature on Word. Not really appropriate for your CV, but a useful piece of information nevertheless).

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Do You Follow Your Own Advice
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Yup. Has it always worked? NO! You see, the trick to getting the write job is to TRUST YOURSELF. DON'T, and let me repeat this...DON'T take a job simply because it's the first one offered. If you don't think the job is right for you, or if you think the company is 'odd', or you don't like the office atmosphere, DON'T TAKE THE JOB, even if they beg you to. It'll end in tears.

I know it is very flattering to be offered a job, especially if the pay or the position represents a considerable promotion or pay rise. But if you are going to end up leaving after a couple of months, has it really been worth it? I feel the answer is a resounding NO!!

Don't be afraid to say NO! It took me a long time to learn this one. I don't know if I have learnt it.

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Having said that, sometimes, getting the right job is simply a case of being in the right place at the right time. I got my current job by meeting someone who ran her own company. I met her abroad. That was pure luck. It happens. If it does, and the person you meet expresses interest in you, and you're interested in what they do, don't be too shy about blowing your own horn. I don't mean that you should stand on a chair and shout your abilities and qualifications; just don't get TOO humble! If you want the job, go for it - treat it like an interview when appropriate.

Summary: Keep your CV to two pages, don't be afraid to blow your own horn, proofread!