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This is really special. Back in 2001 I bought a book – and it’s now leading to YOU getting something totally free. And it’s awesome.

Here’s the story: I had that desperate feeling in my job. I just couldn’t go on. I was doing well. Big clients. Good money. But man, I just felt that there was nothing in the job for me. Funny how money only goes so far to make one happy. I was working right next door to Cavendish Square shopping mall and lunch times I used to pop into Exclusive books. And one day I saw and immediately bought a book, “The Work We Were Born to Do – Find the Work You Love, Love the Work You Do” by Nick Williams. I devoured it. And the book with its inspirational quotes, ideas and guidance played a big part in helping me mould a career/job/business for myself that really is more than I’d ever hoped (not without its challenges – but that’s life!)

Now, you may know Nick Williams. He’s been to South Africa many times. He’s appeared on 3 Talk with Noleen and Carte Blanche on MNet. He runs seminars and promotes his books here. And he has a new course that he’s offering free to you. But note – it’s not for you if you love your job and you aren’t at all interested in working for yourself one day.

Sign up for it here – [please note, as with everything where writers touch on matters where they speak of the "universe", "spirit" etc and the "purpose of life" I encourage you to look at the principles behind what's being said, instead of taking it as religious or spiritual truth.]

Are You Sabotaging Your Self? [August 15 e-Column]

So a few weeks ago a truck rolled up and dumped 1000 pieces of firewood in one of our barns. Nice. Fires on cold nights here in Grabouw? Not quite: the wood was wet. Not damp. Wet, from the core, out. And even with firelighters, paraffin, etc it’s tough job to get a fire going. Olive comments rudely on how my rear sticks up in the air while I try to keep some flames going on.

So what’s the job hunting lesson? This: make sure you’re not sabotaging your job hunting flame with ‘wet wood’ – like a poor CV or covering letter or poor answers in an interview.

Now I’m going to give your a formula from Frank Kern and John Carlton – one of the worlds most respected advertising copywriters – to use when you write your CV and cover letter or even in interviews. This formula is really going to ‘spark’ the way you think about how you market/sell your skills in the job market.

Tell people:

1 Here’s what I got.

What are the 3 things you have (you do have more, I’m sure, but keep it simple) that should make an employer sit up and take notice? It could be a qualification, experience, some knowledge, a special ability, even an attitude … (It may not be “earth shattering” – don’t worry about that.)

2 Here’s what it’ll do for you.

You convert your skills, knowledge, qualifications into what for your employer? How are they better off with you around?

Ok, so at your next coffee break, take out a pad and brainstorm a little around those questions. See what you come up with. keep it short and punchy. Then enter them in a comment below or mail them to me – I’m going to follow up on this next week.

Personal note: Got a nice call at around 8:30 last night from a client – we rushed his CV through a few weeks ago – he was calling to say he didn’t get the job we were targeting. He got the next job up the ladder – higher than expected. He has no qualifications. Just great experience. Who says there isn’t hope for you!?
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What’s the Purpose of Your CV? Actually?

Have you ever been asked by a recruiter for “more information”. You know, besides what’s already in your CV. And it’s frustrating because, I mean, where do you stop? How much is “enough?” You’ve included good solid information in your CV. Isn’t that sufficient?

It is. And I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if, prior to you being interviewed, the recruiter is asking for “more information” of a general nature – other than what’s on your concise, focussed 2 page CV – the opportunity being offered is not a serious prospect for you. And the recruiter isn’t very experienced.

You’ll have to use your common sense of course. If they ask for specific details, like about your experience with a certain software package, or in a certain niche function of your job, then that may be a different matter. Your experience with the software/function may be a deal breaking/making element for the client, so they have to be sure of your depth of knowledge.

But really, it’s not hard to make a decision on whether to call you in for an interview or not. If you’re qualified for the job and you have the required experience/profile and you’re being clear and concise in your CV and cover letter, then it should be easy. What makes it difficult is if actually you’re NOT suited to the job but because they don’t have anyone suitable they’re hoping that you’ve left some critical details out of your CV.

Yep, asking for more general information perhaps betrays what the recruiter may be thinking …

“this person looks really good, they have 50% of what’s required … maybe they’ve left something important out of their 2 page CV … let me ask for more information.”

But I say, if you don’t fit, you don’t fit. Adding more 2nd or 3rd tier details is not going to swing it.

Now of course you want to indulge recruiters. They have the power, the job opening, the relationship with the client. So sometimes one has to play along and give them what they want. But here’s how I would answer the request for more “general” information -

“sure, when can I come in for an interview to give it to you”

- that’ll test whether there’s real interest or not.

Here’s something interesting written by a US “resume” writer, Robert Parker (http://resumesuccesszone.com), on the topic of what your CV or resume (for these purposes they’re the same thing) is really meant to achieve, what it’s true purpose is:

Your resume is a sales pitch designed to make a prospective employer think you’re worth their time for an interview. That’s all. It’s a single step in the hiring process designed to lead to the next step. Many people mistakenly believe that their resumes must convince a manager that they’ve got what it takes to get the prospective job done.

What he means by “convince a manager” is that from the detail alone the manager can make the final hiring decision. But you don’t get hired off your CV. It’s a powerful tool, sure. It can influence, sure. But it’s not meant to be a detailed biography, and a boring one at that, on your professional life and times with lists and lists of detail. Rather your CV is meant to enable a quick decision, in 30 seconds or even less, to call you in for an interview.

So understand the purpose of your CV. Interviews! And it’s tier 1 detail that gets that for you – qualifications, job titles, achievements, companies worked for, references (can be tricky, so be careful), and job functions (they’ll be scanning for key words). Oh, and of course, it’s all got to be presented concisely, professionally, clearly (that’s my job as a CV writer!)

[Just a memory coming back to me from my recruiting days - after interviewing someone we’d hand over the CV to a typist for typing into the ‘house’ format - we’d always assume that candidates knew nothing about CV writing and we knew everything - and we’d in one foul swoop turn the candidate into the perfect ‘average’. And because the format looked really silly with just a few details, more details were always preferred or the typist would complain. Interesting to see what may be behind the request for “more details.”]
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CV / Resume Mistake #1 and How to Fix it

Taken from an article on Yahoo’s HOT JOBS (article by Caroline Potter, expert advice by Lauren Milligan of ResuMAYDAY.) I’ve added my own boring comments.

And the thing is … I agree totally with the advice. I’m posting it because it’s good CV advice – in my CV / Resume writing practice I apply this advice all the time. So should you.

Think Big

Whatever jobs you’ve held — be it as an assistant or a CEO — think beyond the everyday tasks of your position … “People get bogged down in the day-to-day details of their jobs, but when it comes to your resume, you’ve got to get out of the clutter and ask yourself, ‘What does this work mean?’” …

… “If I’m hiring for an administrative assistant, I already know what one does. I don’t want to see a resume that only says an applicant can type and answer a phone. You have to go beyond that to point out your specific strengths.” …

Start by having big-picture conversations about what you do and how it serves the organization as a whole … “If you’re in a support position, consider how successful the person you support is and how you help her do her job better. What role do you have in her successes? Those are your accomplishments.”

This is particularly a problem in SA. We love our long lists of “Duties” and “Responsibilities” on our CV or Resume don’t we? Now I wouldn’t advise just chopping them all out. No. But by all means make it concise. Create a bulleted list of maybe 5 key duties, provide a quick overview – then move on to your achievements.

Personal Note – actually the point above is my biggest frustration with CV / Resume writing! Clients – maybe like you!! – send me so much detail on “duties” I have a long hard time of simplifying it to make it concise and hard hitting. And it sometimes gives them a shock too! But that’s my job. And it results in an easier to read, more scannable, more understandable, harder hitting CV / Resume.

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Have you enjoyed this article? If so please do 2 things: 1) Share it – click the ‘green thingy’ button below and you’ll easily be able to send it to friends via email or even Facebook; 2) And join the exclusive Career&Success community – the place for info, ideas, support and a network of friends to give you the spark you may be lacking right now. www.CareerAndSuccess.info

Recruiting Agencies & HR: Hoy! Listen Up Here.

We is here wif “Joe” He be one job hunting brover. An’ he be tellin recruiting agencies to “lissen up.”

Ok, so maybe you didn’t get the whole “Ali G” intro. So here’s the boring version: I asked for some feedback regarding my services from my mailing list. One reader wrote back with the following about HR and recruitment/employment agents – do you agree, disagree?

1)I enjoyed the interview and CV tips.
2) The problem in your industry (job market/recruiting/HR) is that we are dependant on 3rd grade “headhunting” cowboys. If they don’t place you within 5 tries, or within two weeks, you are on the rack. (CV in the database) They only want to make a quick buck, doesn’t matter how they screw up your career path. They re-write the CV’s in their own crippled “standard” format. (I suppose that is the quickest way that they can then scan through it afterwards). They have first hand contact with potential employers, and they place the adverts. My impression is that companies prefer that agents do the screening of CV’s.
3) The companies itself get so many applications, that they never open all of the mails (CV’s).
4) The quality of the HR people are also questionable. We are in the hands of idiots.

Send your feedback to gerard@jobsearching.co.za

[Just a thought here from me – I actually totally understand why agencies do some of the things mentioned above. So I think the more interesting question is … “This is the way it is (for whatever reason), how am I going to deal with it? – so that my career path doesn’t get screwed up.”

What do you think? “Respek”
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Have you enjoyed this article? If so please do 2 things: 1) Share it – click the ‘green thingy’ button below and you’ll easily be able to send it to friends via email or even Facebook; 2) And join the exclusive Career&Success community – the place for info, ideas, support and a network of friends to give you the spark you may be lacking right now. www.CareerAndSuccess.info