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How to Write a CV for Professionals · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: How to write a CV for professionals to consistently get to interviews for the jobs that you really want demands a slightly different approach.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: If you're writing your CV based on everything that you've done without first being really clear on what role you're going after and the likely problems that role will have to deal with, you're almost guaranteeing yourself an average CV.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Next, how you write about all your skills and experience is a big factor.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Anyone can write statements on their CV.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Look up the various stats and you'll find that somewhere between 70% and 85% of candidates exaggerate or outright lie on their CVs.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Hiring managers know this, so you need to provide them with more certainty before they invest an hour of their time interviewing you.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: And thirdly, how you write your CV for professional roles gives the hiring manager personal experience of quite a few of your skills, which will trump anything you write down on your CV.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: So to help you overcome these challenges, we are covering firstly why the competition for professional jobs is more intense and the players more skilled.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, seven important skills you should demonstrate with how you write your CV.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Thirdly, the hidden messages your CV is sending, and fourth, ten steps to write a must-interview CV for professionals.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: I've been a hiring manager for over 20 years.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: I've read thousands of CVs and I've run over a thousand interviews for graduates through to managing directors.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Please put into practice the 10 steps outlined towards the end of this podcast.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: You can easily put yourself in the top 5% of CVs by doing so.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles and I've been a hiring manager for over 20 years in corporates and household names through to SMEs.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: I've also been in your shoes, moving companies 6 times in 16 years to progress my career from graduate through to board director.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: My record includes getting to interview for 89% of applications I made, about 10 times better than the average of 8.3%.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: If you're new to this podcast, Enhance.training shares business and people management expertise to help you improve your performance and that of your team and business.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: And do visit us at enhanced.training and take a look at the courses and resources for you to improve your management skills and the outcome your team delivers.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: The first area we're going to cover when thinking about how to write a CV for professionals is why the competition is more intense and the players more skilled.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Professional jobs have a lot of career development opportunities, pay well, and as a result, many people want them.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: To do many professional roles like lawyers, accountants, engineers, etc., you have to earn specific qualifications.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: You also know that anyone gaining these qualifications can and will learn and they work hard.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Because of all that studying and exam practice, candidates going for professional roles are likely to be able to write well and communicate effectively what they have done on their CV.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: The good news is there are a number of other skills needed in writing a CV for professionals which can consistently get you to interview ahead of the skilled and hardworking competition.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: More on these in a bit.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: And from the employer's side, the various skills, including the technical ones, needed to do professional roles are pretty high.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: To attract people with these skills, these professional roles have a lot of career development opportunities.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: They pay really well, they've got good social standing and are good stepping stones into managerial roles, i.e., there is a lot of demand for these roles.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: And on top of this, the employers need to charge a lot for the services provided by their staff so they can pay their staff well in the first place.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: So the demands on their staff are high.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: For all these reasons, employers aim to select the best employees they can.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Makes sense.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: They also organise recruitment processes that weed out who they perceive as the weaker candidates as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: So back to CVs for professionals.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: If you just compete on what you've done on your CV, you are unlikely to get ahead of all your competition, taking exactly the same approach.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: In addition to what you have done, compete on how you write your CV and demonstrate how you can solve the specific problems of the role that you're going after.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Combine all of these together and you can produce a CV that gets you to interview again and again for professional and managerial roles.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: The second area we're going to cover when thinking about how to write a CV for professionals is seven important skills you should demonstrate with how you write your CV.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Here are the seven desirable skills for professionals that those writing great CVs demonstrate through how they write their CV.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, good self-awareness, second, good written communication skills, thirdly, research ability, fourth analytical ability, fifth, good understanding of the role being applied for and the problems it needs to solve, sixth, problem solving skills, and seventh commercial awareness.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: Each of these skills can be demonstrated through how you write your CV rather than just stating them on your CV.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Showing you have these skills beats telling the reader you have these skills.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Let's touch on how you can show these skills on your CV.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: So let's touch on how you show these skills on your CV.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Good self-awareness is shown through showcasing the depth and breadth of your skills and experience.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: For example, rather than writing you produce monthly management accounts, explain how you've improved the management accounts, the challenges you've overcome, and how this has impacted the business.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Good written communication skills are demonstrated in your writing style, the structure, the conciseness, the ease of understanding, the persuasiveness of what you write.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Research and analytical ability are demonstrated through how much you have found out about the company and the role you are actually applying to, and how you show this on your CV, or use this information to match your skills and experience to what the company needs.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Understanding the role is about how you show your knowledge of the pressures and demands of doing the role you're applying for.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: A great way to do this is to demonstrate your key attributes and skills needed to deal with those pressures and demands.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Problem solving skills are shown through how you have understood the problems the employer is likely to have, and within your CV, how you show you have solved these problems before and how you are likely to solve them again in the future.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: Commercial awareness is demonstrated on your CV by showing you know how to add value to the employer through doing your role and what this means for the employer.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Examples include increasing revenue, saving costs, saving time, improving efficiency, reducing risk, etc.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: in the context of your target role.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Candidates showing as many of these sorts of skills as possible are more desirable than those that don't.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you're conscious of each of these when you're writing your CV, you're much more likely to be conscious of each of these when doing the actual job.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: As you progress up the ranks, a reader will have an increasing expectation of your ability to demonstrate each of these skills.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Take every opportunity to demonstrate the skills you have on your CV and give the reader an experience of what your work is like, the example being your CV.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: Demonstrate these skills with how you write your CV for professionals, and you are already several steps closer to getting to interview compared to those that don't.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: The third area we're going to cover when thinking about how to write a CV for professionals is understanding the hidden messages your CV is sending.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: The actual words you use and what you write about on your CV are of course very important.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: So is the impression your CV creates with the reader.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: When hiring managers are looking at your CV, they're experiencing an output of your work.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: It is pretty similar to listening to someone talk.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: The words they say account for less than 10% of what is communicated, with the tone and pace of voice being around 40% of what is communicated.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Your CV is pretty similar.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if you write you've got good written communication skills, yet your CV is difficult to understand and is poorly laid out, then there is no way the reader's going to believe you.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: The reader's experience of your work is much more important than the words you write.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: If you are in or heading into the management ranks, communication skills are a critical skill.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Your CV is an example of your communication skills.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: The words you choose, the style in which you write, how everything is presented, all becomes even more important.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: If your CV is clear, relevant, well laid out, free from errors, demonstrates the right level of experience, is well structured, has strong, compelling examples, and looks professional and polished, then the reader's experiences of these factors through reading your CV is good.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: You create an expectation and belief that you will apply these same skills you're demonstrating when you're doing the job on offer.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: On the other side of the coin, if your CV looks poorly laid out, with half the information not being fully relevant, with hard to understand examples or little proof of what you write, then the reader will believe you lack self-awareness, lack attention to detail, lack commercial awareness, etc.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: Your CV is an output of your work, therefore why should your work be any different once you've actually started the job?
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: The reader's experience trumps the words written.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: So pay careful attention to how the reader of your CV is going to experience reading it.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Pay attention to the impressions you're giving.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not sure how to convey the right impressions through your CV, learn from someone who can show you.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: The other alternative is spending a lot more time getting a job because those that show they have better skills in these areas will be ahead of you in getting to interview.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: And having a lot of people ahead of you will also mean getting the better jobs may not be possible.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Most important of all, you only need to show these skills on your CV to get to interview.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: So put in the extra effort with your CV.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: Get lots of examples of good CVs and take careful note of what each person does on their CV to demonstrate their skills.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: Copy them.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: Get others to help you once you struggle to improve your CV further.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure your CV is as strong and professional looking as possible.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: In doing so, you're sending the right hidden messages.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: The fourth area we're going to cover when thinking about how to write a CV for professionals is 10 steps to write a must-interview CV for professional jobs.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: Practical tips are included within each of the 10 steps outlined.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: I've always put each of these steps into practice.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: I've won interviews for sought-after jobs in top companies against more experienced competition, i.e., they are tried and tested steps that work time and time again.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, work hard to unearth the best examples of your skills and experience.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: You will have a unique combination of skills and experience.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: You must be clear what these are.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: The depth of your experience and how you can use it to prove that you have the skills you claim is crucial.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: First you're on your CV and then later at an interview.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Spend as much time as you are able to really think about your experience.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: Construct your examples carefully to show the value you can add and the level of skills you have.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: Second, work hard to be clear on what job you really want.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: I don't mean working out that you want to be a finance manager, for example.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: Go further, go deeper.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: What experience do you want?
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: In what sort of environment?
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: With what sort of challenges?
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: For example, a finance manager role in a central team in a stable corporate is going to be a very different job to a finance manager in a mid-sized business who has just started a turnaround program.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: Be as clear as possible about what you want.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: You can't be all things to all people in writing a CV for professionals.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: Third, make the time to research and understand what your target employer will be looking for.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: Understand their problems.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: When you understand their problems in depth, you can write a CV tailored to solving those problems.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: Getting to interview is so much easier by taking these first three steps outlined here, and we haven't even started writing a CV for professionals at this point.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, choose a professional-looking CV format.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: Professional CV formats are fairly plain looking, with a white background and a black text.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: Don't choose any formats with blocks of colour or fancy graphics, etc., even if you're going for a marketing job.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: Applicant tracking systems don't like them.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: The big recruitment consultants don't use them, and they don't look as professional.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Go for straightforward, conservative formats and make your content exciting.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, when writing a CV for professionals, don't just list out all your work experience.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: The reader is not interested in you.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: What they are very interested in is how you can use your experience and skills to solve their problems.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: Write everything from the perspective of how what you did helped your employer.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: This is very important in consistently getting to interview.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: Sixth, everything you write should be clear, concise and well structured.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: What you write needs to be easy and quick to understand.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: It must demonstrate you can do what you write, and it must ooze credibility.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: The language you use, your writing style, the examples, the achievements, etc., all play an important part in doing this.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: Seventh, focus on demonstrating how well you can do tasks and deliver results.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: Just listing tasks you have completed actually doesn't tell the reader much.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: State and demonstrate how well you can do the tasks and suddenly what you write becomes a lot more interesting and relevant to the hiring manager.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: 8.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: When writing a CV for professionals, use lots of measurable achievements within your examples.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: These must include numbers.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: Your achievements must demonstrate you have the right level of skills to overcome the demands of the role.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: Aim to include at least 11 measurable achievements on your CV, which will put you in the top 5% of CVs on this measure.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: Ninth, tailoring your CV to the target role you're applying for is a must if you want to consistently get to interview.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: Say if the target role you're going for is a digital marketing manager in a fast-growing B2C business, then you're going to have to demonstrate how you've increased revenue for a company in this situation.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: The reader must be confident that you can do the same for them.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't focus your CV on the key areas and many other candidates do, you won't get a look in.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: You should tailor your CV for each application because each job will have a specific set of problems.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: Address each convincingly and you make yourself a must-interview candidate.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: And tenth, write a tailored covering letter for each application you make, demonstrating you can solve the employer's top two to four problems.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: You must know what the top problems are to write a good covering letter.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: The letter should be a maximum of four paragraphs focused on showing that you can solve their key problems.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: So there you have ten critical steps to go through to write a CV for professionals.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: Do each of these steps well, and you will get to interviews for exactly the professional jobs that you want.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: So in summary, please put into practice as many of these steps and advice shared when writing a CV for professionals.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to consistently get to interview and avoid all that heartache, frustration and rejection that often comes when you're trying to get a new job, you can't afford to ignore these steps.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: And with this approach, you will spend more time up front, which you will save many times over by applying to far fewer jobs to get to interview.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: My best result is one application to get one job offer, winning a promotion.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: And it was against a lot of competition, and I was the least experienced candidate at the interview stages.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: Most of my job moves involve a handful of applications, i.e., these steps really do work for getting professional jobs.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Good luck getting your next role.training and I'll get back to you.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.