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To start the recruitment process always remember you’re a product being sold to a company, and the goal of your professional CV is to communicate what you can do for them. Your CV is not a job description; it is a sales catalogue for your services.
Most people are aware of the standard CV format: contact details, employment history, qualifications - but which key ingredients impress employers and win a place on their interview shortlist?

For far too long most of us have settled for the old standard tombstone format of the CV believing that this is the only way a CV should look.  If you are totally honest with yourself, would you hire the person from the CV as it currently stands?  Does it really tell you anything about the person’s ability to do the job?  Does it even show what that person is capable of?

The information age has brought about major changes in CV writing that many of those who seek jobs have not been able to keep up with. Add to that the current economic environment and I am sure most people are ready to give up before they even begin.
CV writing has moved from being the complete chronicle of your work experience to being the tool that illustrates why you are the best candidate for a single position. I cannot stress this enough. The age of having a standard multiple-page CV that you send out to everyone for every position is over. You need a Strategic CV for the best impact!

Although the standard format of the CV has become an integral part of the recruitment process, you need to show that you are dynamic.  This is your personal selling tool, so don’t be afraid to use your CV to draw attention to you.  And there is no hard or fast rule that says you cannot do things differently, from my experience, people who follow the pack, just don’t get noticed.  Be sure that you create a document that will be noticed! It's not an official personnel document. It's not a job application. It's not a "career obituary"! And it's not a confessional.

How many pages does it take to tell your story to a potential employer or client? Way back when I started my career, the one page CV was for a person just entering the workforce or someone changing careers. Having a long CV was a badge of honour showing that you had significant and relevant work experience.  Today most CVs are scanned and most are not read past the first page. Brevity is the key for making you look great.

Regardless of what everyone may tell you, you can't draft a good CV overnight, especially if you're a well-experienced pro. It just doesn't happen. That is why I need two to three working days to draft your professional CV

The standard CV has one major drawback - more often than not, the information on the first page is irrelevant to the position applied for.  And you are unknowingly supplying more information than you need.  According to our Labour Laws a lot of the information contained in the old CVs are no longer needed and could be used against you. Have you taken the time to read through all the various acts.  Most people don't know their rights when it comes to the labour acts. 

Some of the acts that have an influence on your life is listed below.
·Skills Development Act, 97 of 1998 (“SDA”);
·Employment Equity Act, 55 of 1998 (“EEA”);
·Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 75 of 1997 (“BCEA”);
·Labour Relations Act, 1995 (“LRA”);
·Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993 (“OHSA”); and
·Compensation for Occupational injuries and diseases Act no. 130 of 1993 (“COIDA”)

Everyone knows it's a good idea to keep an updated CV / resume, but few people actually do. We're just too busy. Remember though, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  Using a professional CV writing service will ensure that your CV stays updated.

If your CV secures an interview, it has done its job.  If it sets you ahead of the competition in the mind of your interviewer, then it has given you a distinct advantage, and has gone beyond its job.

Don’t wait until the last minute to have your CV / resume reworked.  It might cost you the interview. Honestly. If a professionally drafted CV can give you a better chance of getting an interview with the person you send it to, would it not be worth the investment? 

A CV, no matter how good, is NOT the answer to ALL of your job-hunting woes!

Being successful in landing the perfect job requires much more.

The old cliché that it is who you know and not what you know still runs true today. Research has shown that to send your CV for each available position you can find is one of the most ineffective ways of finding work.  You only have a 7% chance.  Using the internet to find work only has a 1% success rate.  Replying to adverts in newspapers also has a 7% success rate.  Handing over control to a third party has never been a good idea either.  Remember recruiters work for companies and not for work seekers. 

Job hunters who use personal contacts, networking and who are willing to change strategies are the most successful. Almost half of the people using these methods find work.  When we start discussing ways of finding work, we will open your mind to new ideas and then we can work out the plan for you.

Once you know what you want, research the following factors:


*  Whether there’s a demand for your skills
*  Current trends in market place
*  Where do you look for a job
*  Who will end up reading your CV
*  How do you handle interviews
*  How will your referees respond; etc.

Follow up with informational calls to gain insight into the companies and the possibility of working for those companies.  Find the person who has influence over the process and that is normally not the HR department and make contact.  People following the above steps have an 86% success rate.

Finding a job may be easy, finding a career needs planning.  The process starts the day when you decide what you want to do.


SAMPLE CV?

Sorry, you won’t find any on this site.  That would be misleading as I produce individual CVs and I promised confidentiality to each person I work with.  Because we are all different and unique our CVs should reflect that.  Generic samples cannot do justice to your finished document.

However I have produced CV for candidates & industries as listed below:

* CEO & Executive Corporate Management
* Accounting-, Investment-, Banking, Actuarial & Business

* Accountant
* Engineers (Civil, Mechanical, Electronic, Electric, Mining, Transport)
* Specialised Technicians & Construction – Project management, advanced artisan level, IT
* General – Security, Office support, Drivers
* Medical & Healthcare – Medical Specialists (local & international), Nursing specialists, Health & Safety, etc.
* Marketing & Research – Management, Public Relations, Events Management
* Flight- & ship cabin crew
* Graduates


I produce a professional CV - either in response to an advertisement of a specific position, or as a speculative document showcasing your strengths.

So although I’d love to say “pay me ‘X’ Rands and I’ll guarantee you a job” - that would be misleading and blatantly lying to you.  All I can do is provide the best service - and that I sincerely promise to do.

          
Why do you need a professional CV?
Siltra Consulting
MySkills
Siltra Consulting - Locally serving the Western Cape area - virtually serving ..the world!

Siltra Consulting CC, N1 City, Goodwood
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