The first question I ask a new client when they come to me to get their CV professionally updated, is why? Their answers generally fall into the following categories:
1. They have not been happy in their job for a long time
There are so many reasons that you may no longer happy in your job. From bad management and lack of opportunity to a need for a complete change of career, we spend too much time at work to be doing something that leaves us frustrated, bored or unhappy.
2. They have been applying for jobs but are not getting shortlisted
While some people can take a template from Google and turn it into a CV that stands out to potential employers, not everyone has the ability to sell their skills effectively. I have worked with many clients that were fantastic candidates that were either underselling themselves or burying the good information in a lot of irrelevant details.
3. They just don’t have the time to update their CV
We are all time poor. How many times have you heard about a job that sounds perfect but can’t find the time to get your CV ready before the closing date? You will always need to put some time and effort into getting it right, even if you outsource to a professional. But the advantage will be that your time is maximised to providing an overview of your experience and then providing input to a draft as opposed to starting with a blank piece of paper.
4. They have broad experience but are not sure how to target the job they want
The nature of work as we move into 2014 is that you will have several different careers over your lifetime rather than a job for life. It can be difficult to know how to customise your CV to highlight your transferable skills, particularly when you have a diverse range of experience or are making a dramatic career change.
5. They have never needed a resume before
I work with a lot of clients that have been lucky enough to go from one job to the next, purely through networking and word of mouth. They now find themselves in a market where there is an expectation that they will have a professional CV to hand across and, sometimes after 20 years, they have never had to write one before!
Any of these sound familiar? Changing jobs is a significant life event, particularly if you have been in the one job for a long time.
Fear of the unknown is normal. Sometimes getting help, not just to put together a professional looking CV, but with strategies and tips on how to find and target the right jobs, is the best way to overcome that fear and make the change you know you are ready for.
