We all know that the chances are that an employer considering job applications will only allow a very short time for consideration of each CV.   Unlike a comment I had from a client recently who thought it was because they are lazy, it is actually because they are just very busy people.   

Now, many people believe that there are certain gimmicks that will get your CV noticed, and they are probably right, but it will be for all the wrong reasons.   The way to get your CV noticed is by making sure that the presentation is such that it can be clearly understood what you have to offer to the prospective employer.   Use short sentences and leave out those unnecessary adjectives.   Use bulleted lists rather than long paragraphs of prose.   Don’t use jargon or acronyms, unless you are very sure that they will be understood.

Be brave and don’t feel compelled to include too much detail in your CV - if the employer wants more information they can always ask for it.   A clear, concise presentation with emphasis upon skills and achievements will make you stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons.   

There are a number of ways that I would recommend for dealing with gaps in employment.

The functional or hybrid CV is particularly useful because it gives you the opportunity to lead with information about your abilities.  It placed less emphasis upon the detailed career history.  This type of CV also gives the opportunity to draw attention to skills which may have been gained through voluntary work or sport.

Always express dates in years without the months.   This means that short gaps in your employment will not show at all.

Gaps due to unemployment can be a little more difficult to deal with.  However, employers will understand that it can sometimes be difficult to find a job, and if all else fails you could put ‘job seeking’ opposite the dates. 

Sometimes gaps in employment can be due to family commitments.  If this is the case, then simply put in ‘family commitments’ opposite the date.  This is quite usual, especially where there are young families involved.

Probably the very best way of dealing with gaps in employment is by demonstrating that you were undertaking further training.   There are a large number of training agencies, suited to training for every type of employment.   

Try visiting this page http://www.jobcentrevacancies.co.uk/career-links.php where you will find loads of links relating to this and other job-related subjects.

When you’re writing a CV this is a very easy trap to fall into.  A good CV should introduce you and tell the prospective employer what you can bring to his organisation.  Now, you don’t want to insult his intelligence by telling him things that are ‘a given’ for the type of job you are doing.   For example, it is obvious that an accountant will prepare accounts, or that a shop manager will manage a shop, so that’s not the type of information that needs to be included in your CV.     

What you do need to do is to demonstrate the level you are working at by including in your CV information about your actual job.  Say something about your employers so that the reader can identify the environment you are working in.  Try to include some metrics to demonstrate the size and scope of the business so that the employer can asssess the level of your function.   

Then say whether you are working alone or as a team member.   If so, how large is the team    Who do you report to   What is your particular area of responsibility   Try not to make your job sound boring by just stringing out a long list of responsibilities.   Use short bullet points to explain why you are doing the things that you are doing.   For example, don’t just say ‘data input’ say something more interesting like ‘maintaining accurate records to support management reporting’.   By sounding enthusiastic with a real interest in your job you will be able to present yourself in a more positive light to the prospective future employer.  

I was talking to a friend of mine last night.   He was made redundant some weeks ago and since then, of course, he has been job seeking, but unfortunately without much success, although he has had some interviews.

He said ‘I’ve got a job interview tomorrow, but I don’t hold out much hope.   I’ve already been for loads of interviews but at my age I haven’t a lot to offer, and my health’s not that good either’

Now, I must say I agree with him.   With an attitude like that I don’t suppose he will get the job.   So I said to him what I am saying to you

Be positive.   They must have liked something about you otherwise they wouldn’t have given you the interview in the first place.  Smile and let them know you still have plenty to offer.   Think of all the positive things you can bring to the job.   You have excellent experience and a proven track record of success in the past.  

But if you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect them to believe in you    With the right attitude you have every chance of success – without it, there isn’t a hope! 

Now when giving free CV Assessments, I frequently give the advice that employers are not interested in you as a person at all, only in what you can bring to their organisation.  However this week I was taken to task for giving that advice .   As a result of that I have reconsidered, and I think that, although it is true in essence, it is advice that can be easily misunderstood unless it is taken only in the context of writing a CV. 

When considering a CV, the employer will definitely not be interested in hearing all about ‘me’ and my perceived strengths, mainly because this information is too subjective and can’t be quantified.   I may say that I am wonderful in every way with superlative personality traits which are just what an employer is looking for.   However, it is only me who is saying that and there is no way of proving it.   What you really need to do is to demonstrate in your CV what you have achieved in your life, so that the employer can realise that in order to have done that you must be a certain kind of person.  

In order to find out how you will fit into a team, the employer will use psychometric testing techniques.   These tests are designed specifically for that purpose.

However, having thought this through I will modify the advice I give in future.   I will say that employers are only interested in what you can bring to their organisation.   Your qualities need to be demonstrated, an employer will be unlikely to  place any value upon your own assertions of your peceived strengths, so it’s not a good idea to include them in your CV.