If you have created a CV many times before or if you have been using the same CV (which has been continually updated due to change of basic information) then it would definitely benefit from a good refresh. The chances are it has become tired, old and outdated and likely to be highlighting skills and experiences that have more to do with your past than your future. Now is the time to start from square 1 and begin a brand-new resume that is current and shows you as you are now – not as the character you once were ten years ago.
Creating A CV From Scratch Can Be Daunting
This does not mean you are going to have to write the whole thing again – which to most of us can feel like a daunting and a depressing thought. It will be easy for you to transfer Educational facts and work facts across. What is important is the whole of the text represents your current attitude, approach, skills and experience without just appearing like a database of stilted information.
Be Precise, Focused and Concise
When you have updated an old CV over a number of years it will tend to get longer and longer to accommodate new qualifications and new posts you may have held. In an era when recruiting officers are receiving hundreds of application forms and CV’s on their desks for just one vacancy, the last thing they are going to want to see is an 8-page resume. They are likely to put it aside for later reading. You have quickly gone to the back of the queue.
Therefore, you need to create a document that clearly shows your wealth of skills and experience but at the same time is concise and easy to navigate. For instance, many managers have no intention of reading a CV or application form all the way through when faced with a huge pile of applications on their desk. They will read the first paragraph and, if this appears to fundamentally meet the requirements of the job description, they will tend to go straight to the summary at the end of your CV.
Concentrate on The Current Post
This summary should poignantly and concisely point out why you are the only person who could fill this vacancy. You may have been a little verbose when describing skills and experience from previous work and qualifications that have nothing to do with this current post. So, go back and cut, cut, cut. At all times focus on your current employment and only go into real detail to evidence skills and experience for the job description.
Use Voice in Text to Inject Personality
With a management or executive position your personality, character and approach is important. You can use the personal summary to capture this. Always use first person and try to present a story as to who you are, what you do and what makes you unique. Communicate your values, your leadership style, what drives you and the underlying themes supporting your success. What makes you a thought leader in your industry? The recruiting officer will want to know how as an executive you meet targets and reach key performance indicators.
Moving into Another Industry?
You may be considering moving into another industry that you do not have a great deal of deep information about. In this case, focus more on your management and leadership skills rather than trying to bluff knowledge about the new industry. Recruiters are likely to accept that skills involved in management can be transferred over almost any industry – the important skills are the leadership skills themselves. So don’t use industry jargon in an effort to fool the reader – use straight substantial business language.
Be Current and Up-To-Date in Communication
If you are going for an executive position you are likely to be at least in in your middle years. It is easy to get stuck in old ways of sending your CV. Formatting and showing that you are up to date with the latest in the digital world shows that you are on the ball and not stuck in a 10 year old time capsule. You should not send the CV physically unless you are asked to do so. It is more likely that you will be asked to download it onto a website or send it through email.
Keep Your Online Profiles Up-To-Date
A CV that connects to your website, business social media sites and other online communication sites can be very effective. At the same time, ensure that your profiles and subsequent information on the web is in line with the information in the CV. Because of the power of the internet, the internet will always be a first port of call for the recruiting officer or may be used to confirm information they have about you.
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