When a CV (Curriculum Vitae) is Appropriate
Generally speaking, CVs or Curriculum Vitas, are only used in the United States when the candidate is:
1. Seeking an academic position or a fellowship
2. Has been published frequently within their career field
3. The company or institution to which the CV is being submitted requests a longer, more detailed version of the candidate’s history
Overseas, however, the situation is far different. Although some countries will accept resumes, most still want CVs. If you are applying to another country for a position, it’s important that you note how candidate data differs in that country and in this one. Overseas employers may ask for a listing of:
1. Personal information such as date of birth, marital status, nationality, religion, and number of children.
2. Linguistic and computer capabilities (this is nearly standard in other countries)
Additionally, presentation of data may vary from country to country (some prefer Education to be listed first even for seasoned professionals, while others want Professional Experience or Work History).
What Do Employers Most Want to See in a Candidate’s Resume?
With so many individuals competing for jobs these days, the only thing that will differentiate you from the rest of the equally-qualified crowd is what you achieved while on the job. But be warned – an accomplishment must be quantified in order to hold any weight with the hiring manager or recruiter.
Too many times an individual writes: “Reorganized an entire department per management instructions.” That’s not an accomplishment, that is a daily duty. An accomplishment would read like this: “Generated savings in excess of $25,000 annually by reorganizing the marketing department and employing temp workers, rather than full-time staff.”
The above speaks to what a hiring manager and/or recruiter wants to see – how you can make them money and how you can save them money.
To further strengthen your resume, make certain to put at least one, preferably two, quantified and relevant accomplishments in the opening summary. This is especially true if you use the word ‘proven’ to describe yourself. For example, you write:
Accounting professional with comprehensive experience and proven results in negotiations with the IRS.
Proven by whom? You? That’s not enough proof for a hiring manager or recruiter. They want more. It’s better to write:
Accounting professional with comprehensive experience and proven results in negotiations with the IRS as evidenced by the $.5 million in savings, resulting from the 2009 audit.
The above clearly states that you saved your company a half million dollars through your expertise. That speaks volumes to hiring managers and puts you well above the others competing for the same position.
Transitioning Career Resumes
In this economy, many of us will be faced with leaving our first or even second careers to move on to the next.
To successfully convey your old skill set to the hiring manager or recruiter in a new industry, it’s important to follow these key steps:
- Look for online job postings in your field at the various job boards (HotJobs, Dice, Monster, CareerBuilder) and highlight the requirements you meet.
- Dovetail all of your past experience to those requirements for the new position. For example, if you’ve moved from retail management to accounting, then some of your transferable skills may be budgeting, spreadsheets, projections, etc.
- Begin your resume with a strong Qualifications Summary that shows the hiring manager how your past experience can be transitioned to this new career or field. Don’t make them look for it. Don’t make them guess. Most won’t. They’ll simply move on to the next candidate.
- Showcase any past achievements that may be relevant to the new industry. If you were awarded for leadership in retail management that skill is also important in an accounting office.
- Prioritize your data according to what will most impress a hiring manager or recruiter. For example, if you’ve just been awarded a degree in accounting, your education should come first with your professional history in retail management next. The key is to match your background as closely as you can to the requirements of the job.
- Every line of your resume must speak to the new job and how well you can fill it. Therefore, leave any extraneous data that can’t be dovetailed off your resume.
The Only Way to Compete Against Hundreds of Equally-Qualified Candidates
When applying for a specific position, it is important to make sure you include as many keywords within your field of expertise in order to generate a potential employer’s interest. Companies are receiving thousands of resumes each day and yours needs to stand out among all the others.
1. If there is a specific position that you are interested in applying for, be sure to research the company and thoroughly go over the job description and position requirements. If they have specific requirements for the opening and you have experience that fits what they are looking for, highlight this information early on in your resume so the reader can quickly see that you “match” the position. Use caution that you aren’t repeating the wording in the advertisement and don’t rule yourself out even if you feel you’re not a close match. Send the resume and let them decide.
2. When submitting your resume to various job sites and employers, it is important to include contributions and achievements along with a listing of your duties with current and past employers as well as your educational background. The resume is basically your advertisement and your goal is to create enough interest that will result in the organization wanting to learn more about you by telephone or in a face-to-face interview. When too many heavy details are included, you run the risk of overloading the reader, which can result in missing important accomplishments you have contributed during your career. A prospective employer isn’t going to take the time to read a resume that is too lengthy.
3. Finally, if you have been caught in a reduction in force, be assured that you will eventually have success in landing a job. Candidates who appear to be in a desperate situation simply don’t come across as well as candidates who have an image of confidence and self-worth. Many times when someone is no longer working, they feel lost and unsure. If you can look at an unemployment situation as a way of putting 100% of your efforts into the new job search, you will find far more success than those who sit by the phone waiting for it to ring. Get out there and make things happen!
