Perception is Reality - How a CV must be a Sales Document - By Ruadhri McGarry - mynewcv.ie

Perception is Reality - How a CV must be a Sales Document - By Ruadhri McGarry - mynewcv.ie

So you've gotten your CV ready, it's two pages, it looks good, but you've not gotten any responses to your applications. How can this be?

You're an expert in your field, with lots of specific achievements and everyone speaks so highly of you!

What you may be missing is the title of this piece. Perception is reality.

You are the one who's created such excellent benefits for your employer. You know and everyone you've worked with knows that you're the "go to" person on a range of issues, the subject matter expert, the one who holds it all together, dependable, professional and a real leader.

Does your CV say this, loud and clear????

If it doesn't, it needs to and you need to do it today!

Your CV is not the place to be modest, above all else, it's a sales document. Think about it this way. If you are writing a tender for your employer, pitching for business, you are going to boast and probably exaggerate (a little bit, that's allowed) to make sure the reader of the document sits up and pays attention!

You are going to say, firstly, you've found what you need. You won't have to waste any more time reading any more tenders because my company will solve your problem, ease your pain, and allow you to sleep at night.

If you're taking it seriously, you will approach your CV in precisely the same way.

This part of the job seeking process is in your control, so you need to take control of it. You have the chance to hold the reader's reality in your hands. He or she will perceive what you give them, so give them your best!

If you're not getting results from the CV, STOP and start again. Give it to someone you trust who has a good business mind and take the following steps.

Ask them for one hour of their time and effort and ensure your friend has a pen and paper ready because they'll be taking notes (whether you tell them or not is your call but this is a "mock interview).

Write down or print the next set of headings and pass them to your friend. (I will refer to you in future as the jobseeker or JS).

1: Ask JS to summarise their career for you in two minutes. When they finish, ask JS why they are a good employee. Write down the answers.

2: Read each line of the CV to JS. When you reach a full stop, ask "what did this achieve?" and write down the answer.

3: Repeat step 2 until you complete the document.

4: Ask JS question one again. Write down any variations on the first answer.

5: Hand your answers to JS.

Now, JS, I feel we're getting a little closer! At this point, you need to take the answers that your friend has given you and amalgamate them back into the CV.

Make sure that every feature has a benefit. Every piece of experience that you've had has a related upside for the employer.

This is precisely how to boast properly in a CV and exactly what hiring managers want to see.

If you don't do this, if you just list a bunch of things that you did, without the impact of them, the perception is that there has been no positive impacts and you're dead in the water.

Make hiring managers perceive the reality of your experience and do it now!