ARE YOU SELLING YOURSELF CORRECTLY THROUGH YOUR CV? PART 1

WHAT DOES YOUR CV SAY ABOUT YOU?

It is always important to sell yourself right through your CV. I always say, “your CV has to speak well about you before you are called to speak for yourself”. That is, the CV must be able to attract the correct attention before you are given the opportunity to be interviewed, where you then have to speak for yourself.

I will like to use this article to address the following key issues:

•        Your name & other details
•          Your personal profile
•          Employment
•         Education
•         Hobbies

Your Name:

Every CV must start with your name and then other contact details for you. Due to political correctness, I will only say you should try to ensure that the name on your CV is not too long to create difficulty in being pronounced.

Personal Profile:

Set up a standard profile with the unique qualities you currently possess and you also need to use the personal profile to speak directly to the job you are applying for.

For example, if a job requires someone with 3 years bookkeeping experience, you should indicate this in the profile, so that the potential employer can see this even before they go down to reading the rest of the CV.

This will help arouse the interest of the potential employer. You should also try to use the exact words they have used in the person specification for the job. For example, if the advert says they are looking for someone who is flexible; your personal profile should read, “I am flexible and …..”

Employment:

In trying to get an accounting job, you have to show that you have experience in the relevant accounting field. So, if you don’t actually have this experience how do you ever get into an accounting job. A good thing to do is seek any form of Voluntary or Training position that will afford you some experience which you can then build on.

The other thing you have to bear in mind is that you have to use what you have to get what you want.

You need to assess your current job and try to identify aspects that relate to accounts and write those duties in line with accounts. In accounts we are always dealing with customers: - invoicing the customers, posting and recording the invoices, receiving and accounting for payments, chasing for payments; dealing with suppliers in the same way as above, dealing with the banks, carrying out various bookkeeping duties, management accounting duties, year-end accounts, complying with company procedures etc.

Yours Sincerely,

The Friendly Team

The Training Place of Excellence Limited