ADVICE: getting your CV into shape

Chris Newbury, CEO of InterExec, gives brokers an explanation of the essence of how to write a good CV

In the past couple of years thousands of people throughout the mortgage industry have lost their jobs. With the downturn of the economy responsible for ever increasing job losses, now is as good a time as any for brokers to put together a CV that is going to secure the next job and safeguard their career.

Before a successful CV can be written, you must know what your next target job is to be and your CV must be aimed specifically at that role, i.e. be focused on your next objective.

You’ll need to draw up a detailed inventory of skills, experiences and achievements in your career to date, assess and direct their relevance for the type of appointment that would best suit you, and then define and play to your key areas of strength towards your career objective. For a position as a broker, that might mean listing
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtSkills – such as excellent people skills, good written and verbal communication, high levels of computer literacy
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtExperiences – sales and marketing background experience in customer-focused roles
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtAchievements – CEMAP-qualified or attainment of college degree

And then you might want to add personal attributes such as having the ability to multi-task (the ability to juggle more than one customer at a time can be a real bonus) and being self-motivated with the drive and desire to help people.

A CV has only one objective and that is to get you through someone’s door for an interview. It is not a story of your entire life, but a picture of a strong entitlement to your next role. It should always tell the truth, nothing but the truth but never the whole truth.

Your CV must capture and hold the interest of the reader in no more than thirty seconds.

It should –
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtAttract attention and arouse curiosity
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtBe well laid out, with plenty of space on the page and easy to read
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtClearly define the product
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtHighlight key selling points
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtBe truthful and accurate in detail

It should not:
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtExceed two pages and preferably be one only
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtLeave the reader in doubt about the main thrust of your career of your entitlements
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtOmit facts which are generally regarded as basic essentials for a CV – eg Name, Contact Details or Qualifications
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtLeave unexplained gabs in an otherwise continuous career outline
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtPuzzle the reader with technical terms or obscure abbreviations without explanation
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtForce or encourage the reader to perform mental arithmetic
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtMake the reader search for information needed by poor formatting
&bull&ltspan class=&quotApple-tab-span&quot style=&quotwhite-space:pre&quot&gt &lt/span&gtBe varied in response to different roles

The two different formats you could use are Historical or Functional.

The Historical format (in reverse chronological order) is preferred by most people. It’s well suited if you are continuing on an existing career path. Whichever format you use, it’s essential to start by drawing up a Historical CV and deriving the chosen format from that.

The Functional format outlines your key transferrable skills and may be appropriate if you anticipate a significant change of direction from your past career.

Your name, address and contact details should be at the top of the CV and immediately below it should be your “Profile””