The
C.V./Resume
If you'd like to make your CV/resume have a greater impact,
read on:
How do you create an effective CV/Resume?
Components
of a professional CV/Resume
1.
Contact information
Make
it easy to contact you either by phone, mail or e-mail.
Don't make the consultant track you down. Note: make sure
your voicemail message is professional. You don’t
want a consultant to get the wrong impression from a silly
message on the recording.
2. Objective/Title
Some
experts believe that including an objective may limit your
chances of obtaining an interview; if your objective
doesn't match the consultant's needs at the time, you may
miss out on a golden opportunity. On the flip side, a
career objective is useful in communicating that you are
proactively managing your career. You know what you want,
why not say it? We suggest taking a broad approach: Instead
of writing a sentence like "Seeking a career opportunity as
a Marketing Executive", try a simple title after your
contact info, simply "Marketing Executive." The exception
to this would be if you are considering a career change.
3.
Summary statement
First,
include your title and years of experience. Second, list
special skills. Third, talk about your character traits or
work style. Remember that this is a summary; it should only
be 2-3 sentences long. Example: "Financial Accountant with
over 10 years' experience with two Fortune 500 companies.
Technical skills include P & L, budgeting, forecasting
and variance reporting. Bilingual in Spanish and English.
Self-starter who approaches every project in a detailed,
analytical manner."
4.
Professional experience
List
each position held in reverse chronological order, going
back at least ten years. If you held multiple positions
within the same company, be sure to list all of them - you
want the consultant to see how you've progressed.
Concentrate on the description of the position – that
must be the key focus. The body of the position description
has two parts: a description of your responsibilities and
your accomplishments
Feature-Accomplishment-Benefit (FAB)
Use
the FAB format to organize your skills and sell your
accomplishments to a consultant.
Feature: the actual
responsibilities.
Accomplishment: the performing of
responsibilities.
Benefit: How your performance
impacted your employer.
Example: Manufacturing
Engineer Feature: Created and Implemented a Certified
Inspector programme. Accomplishment: Reduced the number of
parts inspected upon final assembly. Benefit: Decreased
inspection costs by 45% FAB Statement: Created and
implemented a Certified Inspector program that reduced the
number of parts inspected upon final assembly reducing
costs by 45%, i.e. (the amount).
Situation-Solution-Outcome
Consider
this format to demonstrate your problem-solving
capabilities:
Situation: What situation was your
company facing?
Solution: What did you do to solve
the problem?
Outcome: What was the
outcome?
Example:
Director of Business Development
Situation: Company wanted to grow non-government
business
Solution: Created and implemented commercial
market penetration strategy
Outcome: Increased
revenues in excess of £50 million
SSO Statement:
Company wanted to grow non-government
sector business. Developed business that resulted in the
capture of commercial sales with increased revenue in
excess of $100 million.
Top 12 accomplishments that most interest employers
• Increased revenues
• Saved money
• Increased efficiencies
• Cut overhead
• Increased sales
• Improved workplace safety
• Purchasing accomplishments
• New products/new lines
• Improved record keeping process
• Increased productivity
• Successful advertising campaign
• Effective budgeting
Other CV/Resume components include: Education, Professional
training, Affiliations, Appointments, Licences, Technical
skills and Languages. Approach these items from the
viewpoint of the consultant or employer: How will these
skills benefit the company?
