How can I recession-proof my CV?

The short answer to your question is that a CV should always contain the same types of basic information (contact details, work experience, education and personal) but you should also tailor your CV to reflect the context in which it is being sent. More importantly, you should prepare a different CV appropriate to every job to which you apply. Think for a moment about the direct mail that gets posted to you or the leaflets that come through your letter box at present. The products and services they offer are the same as they always were, but you will probably find that the mail highlights low price, value-for-money, cost-savings, etc. Your CV should do the same. Of course, it is not just your CV that should change, but your whole approach to job search as well. Here are 10 things you can do to stand out from the crowd:

Become more creative about your job search: Do not restrict yourself to positions advertised in newspapers and on recruitment websites. There has been a marked reduction in the number of these in recent months – partly because there are fewer jobs (a 20 per cent reduction in the past quarter alone), but also because companies do not need to advertise when demand for jobs outstrips supply. Recruitment agencies say that even when their clients have positions available they are not approving spend on advertising at present. This means many have jobs that are not appearing in the press or on websites.

The first thing to do is cast your search net wider and deeper: Read the newspapers and search the Internet to find out which industries and companies are planning to expand and which remain the most profitable (over 800 new jobs were announced last week alone). Find out what roles they are filling. Network with your contacts – both directly and via social networking websites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Bebo. Attend industry conferences, breakfast briefings, meetings, training events, etc. Be seen and heard.

Customize your application process: With email, people have fallen into the habit of writing one-line cover notes that just say ‘my CV is attached’, but a well written cover e-mail or letter will make your job application stand out from the rest. Instead of writing an email, consider if you could telephone the employer and tell them why you should be invited in for an interview, then follow up your call by sending in your CV. Few people do this and much of getting a job is about doing what the masses aren’t.

Aim to get your CV on a maximum of two pages: All managers, and particularly HR managers, have less time to read CV’s at present, so don’t waste it for them. Remember to emphasize what you can do for them, rather than what they can do for you. Don’t bother listing useless facts such as ‘I was head of the debating team at school’ if that was 20 years ago. Use the KISS principle – Keep It Simple Stupid.

Keep the contact information (your name, postal address, phone numbers and email address) to a minimum. Save space by, for example, putting your postal address on one line (rather than three or four) and your home/mobile phone numbers on one line. Do not add any other personal details such as hobbies to your first page – keep them for page two.

Provide a summary of your key achievements, skills and qualifications at the start: Make it easy for the reader to assess whether or not they need to read your entire CV as quickly as you can. Begin the CV with a short description or some bullet points that summarise what you have to offer: Begin with a statement about your current or most recent role e.g. ‘Experienced Production Manager with 15 year track record of successfully coordinating operational teams’. Ensure that you also highlight your key skills in the summary e.g. ‘A person who has excellent negotiation, influencing and selling skills’. Add any significant or recent qualifications to the summary e.g. ‘Holds FETAC Level 7 Award for Tourism Management’.

List each job you have done in reverse chronological order: Make the Job Title, Employer Name and Dates of Employment clear e.g. ‘Marketing Manager, XYZ Ltd., 2002 – 2009’.

Do not try to tell them about everything you did for each organization: Selectively describe key areas where you have achieved or made a difference e.g. ‘Introduced team working in place of piece working in order to save costs and increase output’. Emphasize areas where you have grown revenue or reduced costs e.g. ‘Grew sales by 12 per cent per annum over the last three years’. Show evidence of success where you can e.g. ‘Reduced production finishing costs by 18%, benchmarked against German plant which reduced costs by only 11% during the same period’. Use quantitative as well as qualitative information where possible.

Include both formal and informal education in your CV: Often it is a long time since we were awarded a degree or diploma, but we have updated our skills with short one-day courses that should be included. List these in a simple to read format e.g. College, Dates, Award or Training, without giving too many details.

Show that you take responsibility for your own, on-going education: We recommend that anyone in a redundancy situation considers doing a short-term course that keeps themselves busy and helps them update/upgrade their skills. Employers like to see an on-going commitment to learning, and it also gives you an appropriate answer at interview when you are asked: What have you been doing since you left XYZ Ltd.? If you are an avid reader of business books, for example, tell your potential employer that you have been self-educating.

In your personal information section show that you are a rounded person: If you are unemployed for a significant period of time consider volunteering to help fill the gaps in your CV. Above all, make sure that you have some information that gives the impression that you are a good all rounder.

People Matters provides one-to-one coaching to those who have been made redundant and are seeking advice on job search. Each coaching session includes discussions on career direction, writing a winning CV and preparing for interview success. A half-day (four hour), one-to-one coaching session costs only 250 Euro! Employers often pay for coaching sessions on behalf of those whose roles are being made redundant and full and half day training events can be organised with us. To book a session or find out more call us on 01-296-1578 or email admin@peoplematters.ie.