Selling Yourself

A have suddenly found yourself without a job and your Résumé (also known as a Curriculum Vitae) has not seen the light of day for some time. Your Résumé is typically the first item that a potential employer receives regarding the job seeker and it is the document that will determine your future with the organisation. It needs to sell you!

Before rushing into a revamp and adding your life history of the past three years, or more, think about what you are doing, make some notes and plan your approach. Consider the following points as part of the preparation:

Date of birth: whilst your Résumé does need to have important personal information such as your name, address, contact telephone number and email address, it does not need to have your date of birth.

Employers are not allowed to discriminate on age and whilst they may suggest age does not affect the selection process, this unfortunately is not always the case. If the information is not available to them, then it cannot have a subconscious affect on the potential employer when they are reviewing your Résumé;

Photographs: similarly, do not include a photograph with your application, unless it is requested. Your partner may think you are good looking, as may your parents, but you do not want to risk being prejudged on your looks by a potential employer;

Employment history: list your employment history first, as this is the most relevant information to any potential employer. However, do not drag out your entire employment record since your paper round at the age of 14. Instead, it is suggested that you work with the last five years worth of employment.

If you have been in the same position for more than five years, then also note the position you held prior to that. If you do not have five years worth of employment history, include any volunteer work you may have done, or any community organisations you may have been involved with.

The employment information needs to be sharp, precise and brief, all at the same time. Employers do not want to read copious amounts of information to find the key details they are looking for. A good example of an employment history is:

April 2002 - October 2003
Project Manager
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Widget Factory, Adelaide

Duties
Contributing to continuous improvement in the company's project management performance objectives including:
* facilitating continuous reviews and improvement of project management work practices;
* evaluating and developing recommendations for enhancements to existing operating systems and procedures;

Be accurate: it is common practice for potential employees to embellish their previous duties, skills and qualifications. However, this information can easily be verified and references and referees checked.

If you are lucky enough to get through the interview process with dodgy credentials, it is likely that you will be discovered once you have commenced the position. You may discover that you are unable to perform at the level expected, or complete all of the duties required and this could lead to not only embarrassment, but future unemployment.

Selling statement: on the front page of your Résumé, just under your personal details should be your selling statement. Your selling statement should be brief and to the point. It should include availability for work ie: full time: two weeks notice required for current employer, part time: immediate start etc and your career goals ie: I wish to further my career in the widget industry in an environment that I can gain valuable new skills, expand my capabilities, learn and grow;

Words: there is nothink worse and no betta refleshun of pore skills, than bad speling mistaqes. Proof read and spell check your covering letter, application and Résumé before printing it off. Ensure that you use the same fonts and the same font sizes throughout. Use standard black font, as opposed to pretty reds, blues and greens.

When compiling your application, use key words that are used in the job description. Address the duties, skills and key characteristics that are specified, without writing an essay;

Stand out: you need to stand out from the crowd and with the employment conditions as they are, competition may be tough. Whilst your application should be on white A4 paper, you may want to include a (pastel) coloured coversheet, summarising your name, contact telephone numbers and the position you are applying for.

Consider having your Résumé professionally bound, or even seek the services of a professional career expert.

Once you have secured an interview, make sure you plan your approach. Select an interview outfit relevant to the industry in which you will be working in, research the company and obtain brief understanding of their position in the marketplace and practice your interview skills.

Good luck!

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