This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Six steps to creating the perfectCV


CAREER Employers regularly


receive hundreds of CVs for the same position, so it’s essential that your resume stands out for all the right reasons. Shirley Taylor looks at what will make yours shine


Forget a smart suit and hours of preparation. On the job hunt, yourCVis your most important tool. It’s your first opportunity to sell yourself – your skills, qualifications and experience and if the person reading it doesn’t like what they see you won’t even get a foot in the door for an interview. So, you should never underestimate just howvital it is that your CV gives off all the right messages. Remember, some employers may spend as little as 45 seconds skimming a CV before branding it ‘no way’, ‘maybe’ or ‘potential’. Take some time creating your CVso you fall into the ‘potential’ category that will gain you a second glance!


cially with your most recent achieve- ments, and make sure it’s clear and concise by including only relevant infor- mation. Pick out themost important ele- ments of each role and where possible demonstrate howyoupositively impacted on the company you were working for. List your experience in chronological


1


order and, although it may be tempting, do not leave noticeable gaps. Be honest about what you were doing at the time, but present things as positively as pos- sible. If you try to hide or gloss oversome- thing, a potentialemployerwill probably pick up on it.


Cut the fluff Keep your CV up to date, espe- 2 One size doesn’t fit all Stand out from the crowd by


researching exactly what the position entails and then customise your CV to show how you have those traits. Be spe- cific and show how interested you are in the position by doing a little extra work. The hiring committee will appreciate it. Highlight particular skills, experiences and attributes that you think the organi- sation will be looking for. To tailor your resumefor a specific job, youmay have to change a fewwords and phrases here and there, but the time taken can beworth it.


3 Talk the talk Shine lots of light on your good


qualities and relevant skills, leaving out all negativity. Look for key words on the company’s advertisement or job descrip- tion, and use them in your CV. You can also demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of your chosen profession by using relevant terminology, but beware of using too much jargon. Try to show competence, not arrogance.


4 Write it right One mistake on your


resumecould be all it takes for it to be tossed away. Use a spellchecker, re-read it and, if possible, ask someone else to double-check.


INFO Youhave a very short time tomakethe


best impression, so keep your language shortandconcise.Usepowerfulverbs such as achieved, developed and strengthened, which emphasise your achievements.


5 6 Chop it up into chunks Use bullets, short paragraphs and


note form,with a clear, logical layout, and just the relevant information to make it easy for the potential employer to read. When you do this, you will have amuch greater chance of interview.


Look the part Employers see hundreds of CVs


everyweek, so youmay be tempted to add a creative flare to yours, thinking it will stand out. Well it will, but for the wrong reasons. Using lots of different fonts and styles may look more amateur than pro- fessional, and what looks good to you could be less appealing to someone else. Use a professional, clean, clear font, all


Shirley Taylor is CEOof ST Training


Solutions in Singapore, providing regular in-house and public workshops on a wide range of com- munication topics. Shirley organises the annual Asian Summit for Secretaries and Admin Profes- sionals (ASSAP) and Executive PA Magazine is proud sponsor of ASSAP 2012. www.shirleytaylortraining.com


in the same size,with bold for emphasis on headings and sub-headings. Leave white space around the text to make the layout easy on the eye. Print on good quality, plain white paper. And most of all, try to keep it to a maximum of two pages.Employers just haven’t got the time to read lengthy documents. E


2012 ISSUETWO | WWW.EXECUTIVEPA.ASIA 49


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56