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The Apprentice

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After watching "The Apprentice" last night I was amazed that certain candidates hadn't learnt from the 2008 winner Lee McQueen's faux pas of lying on his CV. Or maybe the fact that he was the eventual winner made Loraine think it was acceptable to extend her tenure in one role by 12 months!! Apparently it's because she FELT like she'd been there longer.

The Returners CV

 

Returning to work after you’ve taken time out to look after your family can be difficult. An employer picking up your CV to see you haven’t been in paid work for the last eight years would probably consider you haven’t got enough up to date experience, given the rapidly changing employment environment and fast evolving office technologies. You know you can do the job, but how do you persuade an employer to give you an interview?

 

Photographs on CVs!

  

As part of The CV Clinic's commitment to keeping abreast of changes and trends regarding CVs within the recruitment industry we are delighted to announce the results of our recent  survey that was sent out to recruiters, head hunters and hiring managers.

In response to the question, “What should candidates omit from their CVs?” the most common gripe from recruiters was photographs (71%).

Top Tips for Creating a Functional CV

 

 

You’ve just spotted the job of your dreams.  You have all the right qualifications and experience, but it was five years ago, since when you been doing something completely unrelated.  Or, you know you’ve got all the right skills but you just haven’t got practical experience in that particular area.   Or, you’ve had lots of apparently unrelated jobs and your CV reads like a telephone directory. How on earth do you manage to convey to an employer that you’ve got what they need?   Sounds familiar?  Writing a conventional reverse chronological CV will only emphasise these problems. What you need is a Functional CV.

 

What is a CV?

What is a CV?

 

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is defined in the dictionary as ‘an outline of your educational and professional history, prepared for job applications’.  But it is much more than simply this: it is a personal marketing document which, if well designed, will effectively highlight your key skills and experience relevant to your target job. 

 

GETTING PAST THE RECRUITER

Making it to the shortlist is your first aim. But in reality, many applicants waste their time by not understanding or responding to what the recruiter needs.  When asked what really frustrated them about the CVs they received, recruiters were fairly clear – here a just a few of their comments.

 

“There is nothing more guaranteed to spoil a candidates chances of being shortlisted than not telling us what we need to know”.

“The last thing I want is pages and pages of waffle – I just want them to get to the point”.

 

Time for a new job?

Staying where we are is often a lot easier than moving on.  Many of us wait to be pushed rather than take the positive step of finding a new job.  Take our simple test to find out if your career is blooming or backfiring.  

 

Moving up……..Moving on……..

There are six main channels to finding your next job: advertised vacancies; the internet; recruitment agencies; networking; recruitment fairs; speculative approaches direct to employers. The relative importance of each channel will vary depending on your market sector and level of experience, but most people will need to use a combination of each of these to maximise exposure and success.

Developing a Smart Personal Marketing Strategy

The job for life has gone forever.  Changes in company structures, advances in technology and lifestyle options mean that the traditional career pattern is fast on the way out.  Take control of your destiny by developing a proactive, professional career plan.  But what does this mean in practice?  It means taking responsibility for your own career development, either within your current company or outside of it.  It means creating your own opportunities to get the sort of job you want.  It means constantly evolving your skills set to make sure what you can do matches the needs of the job market.  In short, it means being in control. 

 

Sex, Lies and CVs

(image taken from Amazon)

Recruiters suggest that at least 70% of CVs contain lies - ranging from ‘improving’ A level results to creating an entirely fictitious work history.  Embellishing the truth to get your foot on the career ladder may not seem serious, but new database developments mean you will probably get found out.  It has long been common practice for companies to check out the credentials of their senior employees, some even resorting to the services of private detectives.  Now, employers can check details such as secondary and tertiary education and qualifications quickly and easily.  Being found out in one tiny white lie, such as stating you got an ‘A’ rather than a ‘B’ in A level Geography for instance, can undermine the credibility of everything else on your CV.