Many of the problems job seekers face in conducting an effective job search — or preventing them from taking effective action — relate to a series of myths about various aspects of the job search and CVs. For example, should you put personal information on your CV? Should you keep your CV to one page? What color paper should you use?
Job seekers frequently ask many questions about the “do’s” and “don’ts” of CV writing, production, distribution and follow-up. Let’s examine some of the major issues surrounding the “management” of CVs, and in so doing you will recognize the importance of writing, production, distribution and follow-up.
There are five distinct CV development stages: assessment, writing, production, distribution and follow-up.
Assessment, the first stage, is the foundation upon which all CV stages as well as other job search activities are based. Once you have conducted a thorough assessment of your interests, skills and abilities, know your strengths and can articulate a clear objective based on your accomplishments, you should be well prepared to move into the next CV stage.
In today’s job market there are two types of CV: conventional and electronic. Each type has different rules that define what goes into creating a good CV. A conventional CV, for example, is rich in action verbs that describe performance and is intended to be read with human eyes. On the other hand, an electronic CV is designed with a rich combination of keywords or nouns so it can be machine transmitted and read - electronically scanned, e-mailed or entered into and retrieved from a CV database. The end result should be a CV that looks good and will be well received.
The third stage, CV production, focuses on how to produce your CV. Here the major concerns are decisions about paper color and quality, who should produce it, and the equipment used in making copies of your CV. For example, what’s the best color ink and paper to use? Should you use high quality paper? Should you do the design and production work yourself, or should you use a specialist? Is it alright to make photocopies or should you have them printed?
How you produce your CV can make a major difference in the overall quality of your CV, which in turn, affects your professional image.
The fourth stage, CV distribution, is the key to CV effectiveness. In the end, your CV is only as good as the quality of your distribution. If you don’t get it in the right hands, you won’t get desired responses. Distribution covers everything from targeting specific audiences (network contacts, HR departments, headhunters, etc.) to distribution mediums (hand delivery, fax, e-mail, couriers, post, etc).
The final stage, CV follow-up, may be the most important, yet neglected stage in determining CV effectiveness. To distribute a CV without following it up is largely a waste of time, effort and money. In fact, most job seekers do little or no follow-up because they may feel shy or afraid of getting bad news; many simply don’t know that they should follow-up. Many assume that it is for the person who has received the CV to chase them, and if they do not hear from them then the employer must not be interested.
Time and time again, successful job seekers have pointed out that it was their follow-up telephone call that made the difference in getting the job interview. Failure to follow up is one of the major reasons why people are rejected in their job search. It is a major reason why so many good CVs never see the light of day.
So remember, there is a lot more to a CV than just writing one that looks good, CV effectiveness requires: excellent preparation, excellent presentation, excellent distribution and follow-up. Good luck!
(Based in Dubai, David Thatcher is managing director of career management firm Bernard Haldane Associates in the Middle East.)
