CV Tips Articles on Jobseekers Advice

CV Tips - some tips on how to write your Curriculum Vitae

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of sites out there offering tips on how to write your CV or Resume - this article covers the basic CV and Resume tips you need to get started.

CV Tips - Use clear formating on your CV - there's no point having having great content if it is horrible to look at!

CV Tips - Don't make your CV too long - your Curriculum Vitae isn't an essay!

CV Tips - Only certain groups of people need photos on their CV (actors, models, etc) - NOT everyone!

CV Tips - Your CV /Resume is about tomorrow, not yesterday. Concentrate on experience and achievement that equips you for an even better future and leave out stuff you have gone beyond.

CV Tips - Put yourself in the mind of the reader and ask what will make them excited. Your CV is not a list of demands for what you want so don't focus on an objective or a naive profile; replace both with a strong but simple list of the assets (knowledge, skills, track records, achievements) that you will contribute to your NEXT employer.

CV Tips - PELLING. Check it once. Check it twice. Have others read it.

CV Tips - There is no conventional grammar in a CV -resume (it's all bullets; phrases; headlines and captions) so turn the grammar checker OFF and don't try to use full sentences.

CV Tips - Never use the first person, I, me, we, our - unless you are very young and want to seem cute.

CV Tips - No text boxes or tables under any circumstances; agencies may wish to manipulate and reformat your CV and that will hinder them.

CV Tips - Watch for repetitions like "responsible for" and try to make your points more than just a job spec or an embarrassing list of "action words" - being all functional and results biased is already old hat - read our advice for more sophisticated and thoughtful alternatives.

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Sales Experience

by Alistair McIntyre

The thought of a career in sales can be a very daunting prospect, especially if you have no previous experience. In this article I will try and talk you through some of my own personal experiences.

Sales, is all about your personality. The difference between a great sales person and a poor sales person generally all comes down to the nature of the individual involved.

If you are bright out going and able to communicate with different people on different levels then you may well find that sales is for you. There is no template for the perfect sales person and there is no true technique that will work for everyone is all comes down to you.

One of the biggest factors that I think comes into play with sales people is money. You think money when you are selling. The money factor is often the catalyst that makes sales people perform. It’s almost like waving the carrot for the donkey.

Sales jobs are very often commission based so the recruitment process is usually very relaxed. In most non-sales jobs employers can pick and chose whom they want to employ.

Sales is different, if you don’t perform you don’t get paid, it really is that simple. There are a few exceptions where you will be offered a salary but generally a sales persons wage is directly reflected by their performance. This could be a big factor when deciding if you want to take a chance with a career in sales.

I was lucky enough to land a placement that included a salary plus bonus. This acted like a safety net. If I had a bad month I still had my basic wage to fall back on.

The commission only package does have other implications, for example, saying to your bank manager you are only paid on a commission only basis may not go down to well when your are applying for a mortgage. These are just a few considerations you should take into account when deciding if sales is for you.

How do you land a sales job?

Most companies that sell either products or services have a team of sales reps that are there to promote and sell their products to the public or businesses.

The sales team are very often the public face of the company and are in effect representing the company’s brand. Conduct is very important in this role. A good sales rep will always try and show the company in good light and be polite and courteous at all times.

The types of companies that are often looking for sales reps are utilities companies, telecommunications and the insurance and financial sector. It is always best to look for companies that are within travelling distance and forward your CV to them. Generally most people would leave the personal statement out of their CV.

In the case of sales I would strongly advise you include it. The reason for this is they really need to know quite a lot about you as a person before they can evaluate your application.

As I have said before the making of a good sales rep all comes from your personality. Put your self across properly and you will do well. Another important point is to try and apply for companies that operate in a market you understand.

For example I would not apply for a sales job selling financial products because to be honest I have very little understanding of this field. Try and stick to things that you either understand or could easily pick up.

Most companies offer full training but it is often good to have a grasp of the basics before you start. When you apply you will generally be given an interview. In sales the interview tends to be very aimed towards you as a person, again it is all about personality.

You need to come across as the right sort of person for the job. Try and be confident, don’t hesitate on questions and generally act as if you are enjoying the interview. 

Training

Most companies offer training to any new starts within the company. Try and take in as much of this as possible. They will offer you tips and tricks to help you out when you are out selling. They will also try and make you a fully aware of the products or service they offer. Training is very often ongoing and you will be brought back in for refresher courses once in a while. At the time they seam pointless but in the long term they do help.

Good sales all comes down to the following

• Well presented to your customers
• Good overall product knowledge
• Confident
• Well spoken
• Good listening skills

All these factors play a part in making you a good sales rep There is no magic formula that will make you perform in sales it is all just a learning process. What works for one person won’t work for another. It all comes down to fine-tuning your own personal skills.

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Identifying Your Passion's "Building Blocks"

If you're reading this article, you are probably giving some thought to how you can build a career that you can be more passionate about.

A great first step as you begin exploring the possibilities for a passionate career is identifying your building blocks. Take a look at the things that you have really loved doing over the course of your life and break them down into the reasons ~why~.

When you say "I'm passionate about " or "I love doing _ that's not really the complete picture. Whether you're conscious of it or not, what you really mean is "I love doing _____ because _____, _____, and _____."

You identify your building blocks by exploring those underlying characteristics. Having an understanding of those characteristics can open up a whole new world of potential.

It's like an erector set for your career. Once you have the basic pieces, you can start taking a look at all the different things they could be when they come together.

Thinking about the ~what~ of the things we love doing tends to have a limiting effect. For example, let's say you're passionate about travel photography. OK, so what can you do with that knowledge? It seems to suggest one possible path.  Be a travel photographer.

Exploring the ~why~, on the other hand, expands your horizons, providing the raw material to help you look further. It yields the building blocks that you can look at and ask, "what other kinds of opportunities incorporate those elements?"

So instead of "I'm passionate about travel photography," you dig into the reasons why and find out that "I'm passionate about travel photography because it gives me a medium for exploration. And for discovery. It helps me constantly find new ways of seeing things. And it encourages me to connect with people in a way I otherwise wouldn't."

So the juice doesn't just come from taking pictures in exotic locales. It comes from exploration and discovery, and connecting with people, and seeing things in new ways. For another person, it might be something else entirely.

You can also use those building blocks to evaluate existing opportunities. Let's say you're in the job search, and are trying to decide whether a particular job is a good fit for you. With your list of underlying characteristics of the things you love doing, you can take a look at that job opportunity and say, "Does it have these elements?" If not, it's a pretty good bet that you won't be happy there for the long term.

Your building blocks are there already - you just need to uncover them and put them to use. You may be surprised where they take you.

 

As a Passion Catalyst (sm), Curt Rosengren helps people identify their passions and create careers that ignite them. He works with individuals, conducts workshops, and speaks on passion-focused topics. He also publishes PassionKey (sm), an online newsletter dedicated to helping you live your passion.

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CAREER PLANNING

  BY ©JEFF ROWE

  

What comes to your mind when you think about career planning?  Many people aren’t sure what career planning means.  For our purposes we will define career planning as “A goal that you desire to achieve in a selected field or occupation with a well thought out plan to get you there.”

WHY DECIDE ON A CAREER GOAL?

A career goal helps you focus and make decisions on what you want to do for a living. It directs you, motivates you and helps you to accomplish what you want.  A career goal helps you focus and make decisions on what you want to do for a living. A career goal can be a specific job—such as a clerk or teacher—or a career goal can be a particular field you want to work in, such as transportation or education.

A career goal may help you discover your talent, skills and abilities and possibilities that you wouldn't have thought of.  Many possibilities exist with any career you choose. Having a career goal can guide you to doing what you want to do in your life—rather than just aimlessly drifting from job to job.

Once you choose a career, it would be to your advantage to think strategically about the steps you need to take to accomplish your goal.

The future is unpredictable; however, you should still make career goals and plan the necessary steps to your goal.   

EXPECTATIONS/DISAPPOINTMENTS

With every goal there is an anticipated desired outcome.  We call this an expectation.  Our expectations help keep us motivated.  When we realize our goal, we often feel joy and satisfaction. 

All of us have expectations and disappointments.  In the process in thinking about our goals, we have to be prepared to have disappointments.  

Career planning is simply goal planning with the intention of setting goals for jobs and career.

 However, the only career planning you need is the one that is for you and

your particular needs. 

Career planning is getting information, and with that information, you make a goal, and then plan the steps needed to obtain that goal.

The world we live in works in certain ways.  The more one knows how it works, the better one can achieve those goals by utilizing the processes that will give you the advantage.  Career planning is simply goal planning with the intention of setting goals for jobs and career.

In order to remain competitive you need to be as flexible as you can and continually increase your skills.  Some things you can do are: go to school, take workshops or seminars, keep up with trade journals and talk to people who are knowledgeable in the field.  Today, it’s almost mandatory for us to take some form of training all through our career to keep up with the times.

When I talk about training or skill, I’m not just talking about things like organization and time management, although these are important.  However, stress management, problem solving, risk taking, and overcoming procrastination, to name a few, are equally, if not more important, to getting to your goal.

WHY IS CAREER PLANNING IMPORTANT?

Let’s suppose you choose a field.  Career planning is not planning for that field on a one-time only basis, but it’s a continuing process; in fact, you can call it a lifetime process.  We are always learning and growing, and as we do, our interests and needs also change. Career planning is not just making plans to obtain your “perfect” job or career, but to help you make the many adjustments there will be along the way as you learn about you and your world or work.

Career planning is estimating, predicting and calculating all the steps necessary to achieving your goals.  In the process, you are always making choices.  When you choose one alternative over another, this is called an opportunity cost.  An opportunity cost is the cost of passing up your next best choice when making a decision.  In career planning, we need to always be mindful of our opportunity costs and take into consideration all that will come our way.  Those who have successful careers understand how the game of work is played.  As you can see career planning is more than just looking at jobs and positions and working hard.

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Build your career

Build your career

One of the key components of success in any career is continually expanding your knowledge and skills related to your chosen profession. However, it is one thing to understand the importance of developing your potential, and it is another to fit continuing professional education into an already busy schedule.

Between work responsibilities and family obligations, finding time to squeeze in classes can be tough. This is especially true for those whose jobs find them working unpredictable or long hours. One resource to consider is classes offered through professional associations affiliated with your industry. These classes have the advantage of being tailored to your needs, as well as offering flexibility.

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) is a leader in occupational education. The association offers its members a wide variety of opportunities to grow in their careers by continuing their education. "The construction industry offers so many different career options, we want to help our members determine the best fit for their aspirations and then help them pursue and achieve their goals," says Dennis Day, AGC's executive director for public affairs.

Harnessing the Power of the Internet

The AGC Online Institute delivers, manages and tracks training through the Internet. It enables organizations to efficiently train any number of employees, customers or the general public through self-paced courses.

The Online Institute combines all the elements of a training program, such as delivery, access to instructors, training administration and students into one Web site. Students get a valuable, interactive learning experience, which features modular content, peer discussion groups and online instructors. Courses range from "Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response," to how to run an effective meeting.

Course content is presented in self-paced modules that give students the flexibility to structure their learning around any schedule. Students always know where they are in the course and can immediately return to where they left off.

Interactive exercises are modelled after a traditional classroom so students have a hands-on experience that will help reinforce the material and prepare students to take the exams that are given after most modules.

Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow

AGC also offers its members a Supervisory Training Program (STP) designed specifically to meet the needs of the construction industry. Developed, updated and field-tested by and for contractors, the program consists of 11 courses that focus on the knowledge and skills that every supervisor must have to be an effective manager of people, time, equipment and materials.

Since its inception in 1976, more than 100,000 people have participated in one or more STP classes. Each course is activity-based with discussions, case histories, problems and exercises. Participants draw upon their own field experiences and learn by interaction with others from all areas of the construction industry.

Management Development

Members can fine-tune their careers with AGC's Management Development Programs, ranging from a construction project manager course to an advanced management program and a leadership in construction workshop.

These classes are the industry's premier educational offerings for those who want to hone their leadership skills as they advance in their careers. The management classes are intensive programs taught over a span of three days to a full week.

"Members of the construction industry take their careers very seriously," says Day. "AGC's role is to help these high achievers reach their goals, while at the same time making sure that our industry has a steady supply of well-trained, uncompromising individuals." 

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