How to write a great CV; 13 points to consider

1/ Keep it short: the purpose of a CV is to present you to potential employers (and their agents) to secure an interview. A CV is not an exhaustive list of everything you've ever done. Two pages are usually enough for most job-seekers - three pages are OK if you are really senior. Remember that many recruiters – both in-house and agency – will spend seconds rather than minutes reviewing your CV. 

2/ Ensure the CV communicates a clear message: can the reader identify what you can offer after a few seconds? I favour a “Profile and Objective” section at the top of page one that describes your professional offering. You should see the opening lines of this profile section as synonymous with an elevator speech that summarizes your professional experience, and what you can bring to the table, in a few lines. It should describe and sell you in a straightforward and convincing way. 

3/  The Profile & Objective section should focus on telling prospective employers what you can do for them and not what they can do for your career.

4/ Use a simple design: overuse of colour/fonts and over-fussy design can distract the reader. 

5/ Professional achievements: don’t just list your duties in each role. Focus on what you brought to each position. How did you add value? I recommend the inclusion of achievements to support your job responsibilities. If possible they should be supported by hard data; money generated or saved, time saved by process improvements and so on. Also include awards and commendations.  

6/ Leave it out: mug shots, race, marital status, age, religion – in most territories these details are not required and their inclusion may be off-putting.  

7/ Use a simple format: a reverse chronological CV is best. “Functional” or skills-based CVs can confuse and irritate the reader. 

8/ Write in simple language; don’t over-complicate. Avoid clichés. Write in the third person.

9/ Leave out the jargon: company-specific and obscure jargon is best avoided. Why confuse the reader? 

10/ Check and check again: spelling errors and typos must be avoided! 

11/Tailor the CV to each type of vacancy: if you are applying for different categories of role you will need different versions of your CV. It may be enough to change the “Profile and Objective” section.

12/Key words and electronic sifting: be aware that this takes place. Think what key words and phrases recruiters might use to sift CVs in your discipline. Include them throughout your CV. 

13/ Do include: interests (unless mad or bad), languages, education (unless hopeless), your full contact details (landline/mobile/Skype/email and maybe a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile) and address. 

There are many issues to consider when writing a CV. That’s why many people call on a professional CV-writer to help them with this crucial document. I offer a senior, professional CV-writing service. See my LinkedIn profile and www.djmro.com for more info.  Good luck! 

Excellent executive CV / resume-writing services

My customers tell me that my CVs work: they get them more interviews compared to their old CVs. Just to clarify, DJMRO is now focused 100% on CV-writing. Many - but not all - of my customers are senior executives in the Telecoms and Technology sectors.  To find out more see my LinkedIn profile and www.djmro.com.   I have written hundreds of CVs for my clients who come from all over the world and include senior managers, Directors and C-level professionals from operators, consultancies and vendors.

My CV philosophy is clear: CVs should be short and to-the-point. Two pages are ideal. CVs should begin with a strong opening section that describes and sells the person and explains what they can bring to a prospective end employer. The job sections should be rich with achievements wherever possible. Less is more with CV-writing and over-long CVs will harm your prospects!

I no longer carry out CV-marketing projects for DJMRO clients and soon the website will be altered to reflect this change.

Regarding job seeking, I have this advice:

1/  Know your target sectors/roles and think creatively about related areas that could use your skills.
2/  Get an excellent CV written. Make sure it can be easily read and understood by a time-pressed reader.
3/  Apply for jobs using a short covering letter/CV. Tailor the CV and letter for each individual application.
4/  Also approach headhunters/recruitment consultants. The more the better.
5/  Send speculative applications to target companies.

To a certain extent job-seeking, even at senior levels, is a numbers game. Put in the work and you should get results.

Contact me anytime to discuss re-writing your CV. I charge £165 (UK) for this service. Email your existing CV to info@djmro.com and let me know when you are free to talk.

All best,

Darren Manning
www.djmro.com

Improve your CV and get more interviews

Making lots of job applications and failing to get interviews? Assuming that you are applying for roles that match your skill-set and experience you should be enjoying some success and if you aren't then maybe your CV is to blame; perhaps it doesn't present you properly. It may, for example, fail my "30 second test": can the reader ascertain what you offer and, broadly, what you have done in your career after a quick 30 second read of your CV? This is important as recruiters, both in-house and agents, may spend just moments reviewing your CV. Many recruiters are too busy to spend more than seconds reading each application and, no offence intended, a few recruiters will not be bright enough to pull out the salient points from an overlong or poorly put-together CV.

There is a simple solution: improve your CV and get more interviews. Here's what one of my customers wrote about my CV-writing service: ""Darren provided an excellent service in re-writing and structuring my CV, which transformed upwards the rate of response by, I would estimate, a factor of at least three." (see this and other recommendations on my LinkedIn profile).

After your initial contact, I will arrange to talk to you to discuss your past career and your future career aspirations. If you already have a CV we will discuss that as well. This initial consultation takes around an hour. I will then produce a professional CV for further discussion and subsequent approval. This is a process rather than a "one-off" writing service and I am happy to work with you through any number of drafts before we reach the perfect CV.

See www.djmro.com for details and contact me, Darren Manning, to discuss your CV: + 44 7772 101 364. Skype: darren.manning1969 Email: info@djmro.com