Q:

Dear Ammar,

I am currently looking for a new job and sending my CV to different companies.  Everybody is talking about how important a good CV is to land a good job.  I feel that if my qualifications are right for the job, that should be sufficient for me to get it.  If CV’s are that important, how can I put together a good one?

Regards,

A.Q.

A:

Dear A,

Yes, a spectacular CV is key to improving chances of getting a good job.  Also, a poorly written or formatted CV is a big turn off to employers.  So, the time spent on improving a CV is well worth it.

Throughout my career as a manager, I have looked through thousands of CV’s and I can testify to the importance of taking care of one’s CV.  Here is the dilemma: as a manager, whenever I am recruiting, I have to sift through hundreds of CV’s trying to find the right match for the position I am recruiting for.  Since I cannot meet everyone, I have to make a decision on whether to meet someone or not based on the CV.  What do managers look for in a CV?  Neat formatting, proper language, no typos and mistakes, and the right qualifications.  All of them are important.  I have disqualified many CV’s with the right qualifications because of typos or problems in formatting; if a person is not taking care of a simple CV that represents him or her, how can he watch over the assignments I give him?   This is the idea.  Managers when going over CV’s do that usually in bulk; so it is important to highlight the information that the manager is looking for.  This is why bullets and right formatting is key.  Do not write everything in the CV.  Leave some details for the interview.  Think about the CV as a teaser for the manager to convince her to interview you.  Think about it as the movie trailer that will get the manager to watch the actual movie.  Also, do not do a one size fits all CV.  Customize the CV based on the job that you are applying for.  Highlight the skills that you have, based on what the job requires.

The CV sometimes does not get to the right person, or gets mistakenly disqualified.  While many companies discourage it, try to call or find a way to distinguish your CV from others.  Do you know someone at the company who can put your CV in front of the manager and testify to your abilities? It makes a big difference.  Most positions I have filled were based on referral rather than CV’s. 

Some people think about CV’s as a mere listing of facts and data about themselves.  This should not be the case.  Instead, think about the CV as a headline in a newspaper with a hundred other headlines.  Give the reader (manager) a reason to look into yours versus the other guy’s, and to interview you.

Do not expect to be hired right off a CV, it is the interview and your demeanor there that will seal you the job, not the CV.  So, write the CV keeping in mind that its purpose is to get you in the same room with the manager.  The rest is up to your convincing abilities and communication skills.

When writing a CV, go with a template instead of starting from scratch.  Microsoft Word has a few elegant CV formats.  They will save you the time and effort of having to set styles and formats for your CV and will help you stay consistent with your styles and fonts.

The CV should be short focusing on the highlights.  For an entry level, a one pager is sufficient.  For a mid career to a senior, a two pager is understandable.  More than two pages in most cases is too much information.

Remember to also write a good cover letter.  It will help you express yourself and show why you are fit for the position in a more personalized fashion, rather than the hard facts in the bullets of the CV.  I always give more attention and time to CV’s that come with a cover letter.  Use the cover letter wisely to help you highlight the CV in front of the manager.  Remember that managers have a short span of attention.  Try to write something that will catch their attention in the first few sentences.  Once you got their attention, you can get them to read further.

You would be amazed at how badly CV’s are handled in companies.  I have seen CV’s being left at the admin assistant’s desk by mistake, others left behind because the first page did not print out properly, some getting lost by mishandling of staff.  Once I applied for a job at a company that the CEO offered me only a year earlier, but I could not take it at the time.  I did not have his private phone number and my only choice was to call the regular office number.  With the manager being out of the office most of the days, his assistant advised me to send the CV by fax and she will put it at his desk.  For weeks I kept calling and asking what happened to my CV.  Every time I call I was assured that my CV was processed and that they will call me if they see a fit.  I finally gave up on pursuing the job.  Three months later, the CEO called and apologized for not calling me earlier.  He said no one told him that I sent my CV and it was directly put in the CV database, even though he was aggressively looking to fill the position and that he was looking for exactly my qualifications.  If this happens when companies are aggressively recruiting,  imagine what happens when they are just recruiting.

There are lots of places where things can go wrong for a CV from the moment you write it to the moment it gets to a manager.  Make sure that you at least take care of your part to improve your chances in landing a job.

Good luck.

Ammar