Are you an Application Sensation?
Step four of my Seven Steps is about putting pen to paper and selling you in black and white. It has been a fantastic start to the year for Seven Steps to coaching clients, there has been more than one Application Sensation! Dazzling audiences with CVs and application forms and securing that elusive interview.
Selling your difference
Anyone who has read the book will know that I talk extensively about selling your special and different, that is what the CV or application form is all about. Ensuring the audience understands what makes you special, not what makes you the same? How do you tell your story in a way that makes it easy for them to understand the impact you had in your previous role.
The Science of the CV
The one thing I have faced throughout my time in professional career management is everyone thinking that writing a CV is simple. Everyone has seen a CV, or they have recruited and know what they like to see and assume that this is the correct format. The higher up the career ladder you go the more powerful your CV has to be. Never assume that the audience is going to make the leap between a task you mention and what that means for the organisation. Yet repeatedly I have to tell people that the hardest thing you ever have to do is sell yourself on paper.
Reading between the lines
Most of the CVs I see and ultimately re-write are underselling the person it is about, people hint rather than explain the how and the why of the difference they made. They expect the audience to understand what they mean; this is an impossible task if they don’t know you or the organisation. Taking that step from hoping they read between the lines to making sure they really understand what makes you special is a crucial step.
Return on Investment?
The secret to a professionally written CV is the objectivity, being able to add depth to achievements and highlight the elements you take for granted. The process helps us dig into the crucial details and ensure that your achievements stand out. The CV is not about where you have been but is all about where you want to go. Ensure that you are painting your story at it’s best.
If you want to find out more about how we can help you contact us for a no obligation chat