How to tailor your CV with the job
What do you seek in your next job?
Do you want to avoid stress… seek a challenge… want to grow?
Wait… Let me rephrase that question…
Do you know EXACTLY what are you looking for in your next job position?
You see…
How can you possibly find your dream job…
… if you have not made it CRYSTAL CLEAR what you seek!
Most people don't have an answer…
Or give a general answer like “I want to work in an innovative environment”…
Well, that counts for both Microsoft and McDonalds!
After this article, your career direction will be CRYSTAL CLEAR.
Your CV will be OPTIMIZED to the exact job position. It will be like a one-way ticket to that job interview.
Optimizing your CV: Getting extremely specific
So you want a job position that gives you happiness?
Well, don't be a generalist. Don't go for every decent job opportunity out there. Select only the jobs that really fit your capabilities.
Be EXTREMELY SPECIFIC and you will be able to literally choose your next job.
How?
Well… imagine a 'normal' CV that is just a general list of work experiences and job responsibilities.
And then there is your CV that is targeted to that specific job position.
Every CV section communicates a single message: You are the IDEAL candidate. Your competitors with their general CVs will not have a chance!
But… But what?
Are you afraid of limiting yourself by choosing?
Think twice. You are actually INCREASING your chance of success by tailoring your CV to the exact position.
Recruiters scan your CV for only 20 seconds and they are gone.
You HAVE to align your CV with the job!
You HAVE to COMMUNICATE CLEARLY how you can solve their problem.
Choose a position that suits you, target everything in your CV and you will 10x your chances. It WILL pay-off.
Do you have multiple career directions you’re thinking about?
Write them all down and choose one role and industry to work with. If the role isn’t what you thought it would be you can just pick the next one!
You are here to get a job that you LIKE. Be honest. Guard yourself against a miserable career decision.
Learn how to write your CV for MAXIMUM IMPACT!
Let’s start planning your CV!
Do you know EXACTLY what the job is about and what problems the position solves? …the recruiter DOES!
Did you talk to someone that has exactly the same job?
- What do they do on a normal working day?
- What are the most important aspects of the job?
- What problem does the job solve?
- What do they hate the most in their job?
Do you know anyone that has, or had, the exact same job?
Call them, mail them, take them for a cup of coffee or even a lunch in order to make sure you really understand what the job is about.
At the least brainstorm for a minute or do a quick research online.
Tip: Quora is an amazing place to ask questions to someone in the exact job position!
This is a critical step because…
- You know what the job is about and thus can tailor your CV and interview
- You know now what the job REALLY is and if this is still according to your IMAGE of the job
(you don’t want any wrong career choice, right?)
Job questions to ask BEFORE writing your CV
- What are the responsibilities of the job?
- What are the top 3 tasks?
(most important aspects) - What is the biggest problem this function solves?
- What are the skills/qualities required?
- Is the job more person or result oriented?
- What company size does fit your most?
- A structured large company or a smaller one?
- How about the location?
- Do you want to work in a large city?
- Do you want to move or not?
- What is the maximum travelling time?
- Why does your function help the company?
(Overall perspective)
(the recruiter is going to ask you this!)
- What value(s) do you offer?
- What is your solution to their problems?
- Why does the function fit you?
- Do you have examples of your value(s)?
(Write them down to make hard achievement statements) - Why do you want this position & why does this function fits your career?
- What’s the first act you would like to perform when you’re hired?
- Test this answer with the person that is in your desired job position; this is a tricky question to challenge your understanding of the position!
- What would you have accomplished in this job position 5 years from now?
- The answer tells a lot about what is important to you, check with the person that has the exact position if your directions are aligned!
- What are the negative aspects of this job role as you see it?
- What do you think will be the most challenging?
Don’t limit yourself by answering too generically (like the Microsoft/ McDonalds answer); be as specific and objective as you can.
Sometimes the function is NOT what you THINK it is.
Don’t fool yourself.
You’re here to get the job you LIKE.
Note: While these are the most important questions, a full list can be found in my book. Get it for free here:
Learn how to write your CV for MAXIMUM IMPACT!
Integrate some personal branding
The power of a personal brand became very clear to me after reading a story of Derek Halpern.
He talked about how a young man got appointed as the new CEO of a fortune 100 company.
The storyteller didn’t know why he got appointed, so he asked 5 different people the same question: “How do you think he landed on that job?”.
They all gave EXACTLY the same answer…
“He’s really smart. He processes information so fast.”
Now, how likely is it that everyone says EXACTLY those words?
Exactly… None!
It turned out the CEO created his own personal brand by shaping the message he wanted everyone to say about him.
And it worked…
But here is the thing. You can do the same thing…
PLAN what the recruiter will think about you after reading your CV.
Let’s shape your brand!
Your personal brand has to be specific and aligned with the job position.
You have to be the solution to the companies needs.
After that, there is only one thing left…
Repeat this message until your sick of it!
Think about it.
What do you want other people to say about you when you’re not around?
“Oh him/her? Yeah, he’s the … guy/woman.”
You want that people remember you once they have a related problem…
You have to be their solution.
Do this right and you will be the first expert they remember when thinking about 'your' problem.
So…
- What are your talents and how do you use these talents to gain useful results?
- What pains do you solve? (Pains sell a lot easier than unwanted solutions)
- For whom do you do this?
- What results do you promise?
These 4 questions can help you to shape it:
- What does your ideal client want/
What’s your ideal project/
What field/aspect do you like the most? - What’s their main problem you believe you can solve?/
How can you help them? - How do you solve that problem?
- What do you love about it?/
Why do you do it?
Combine the answers in a nice sentence!
For example:
- What does your ideal client want?
My ideal client wants to find their dream job. - How can you help them?
I empower the client with tools and knowledge to help him find this job (and make sure he is getting noticed) - How do you solve that problem?
By making him aware of how succeeding CVs work, align his strengths/assets to the job and offering professional designed CV’s to let him get noticed. - What do you love about it?/Why do you do it?
I love to help as many people as possible fulfilling their potential because I think the recruitment process is broken: it are not the people with the best qualifications that get the job, but the ones with the best CVs. I am going to change that.
Combine these four answers in a nice sentence and you have your brand!
I want to empower people for the journey to their dream job by providing them with knowledge and tools, making them aware of their own strengths and offering them professional designed CV’s in order to stand out and maximize their chances of success.
(I left out answer 4 because of the length)
If I promote this brand on every job-seekers platform, the chances will raise considerably that someone will share it with their friends by saying:
“Check out CV-Template.com, they know exactly how to write your CV effectively, allowing you to find your dream job”.
or
“You need a succeeding CV? Try CV-Template, they have free professional CV templates that make you stand out”.
Do you see the power of your brand?
You can choose what people will say about you when you are not around!
Think about what you want the recruiter to say about you and use these 4 questions to shape your personal brand as precise as possible!
The second step is to emphasize this message in every element of your CV.
How to match your CV with the job description
By answering all the job questions, you have everything you need to write your CV for Maximum Impact.
You know EXACTLY what the job is about and what problems it solves.
Moreover, you have created a personal brand that is aligned with this job.
With this knowledge, you can align yourself with the job and write your CV from the employers perspective. Show your benefits to THEM.
With your PERSONAL BRAND, you send out a clear message.
You know exactly what their problem is. You are the solution.
In other words…
Your CV is targeted on what THEY want to hear, not about what YOU want to tell about yourself.
In this course, I will teach you exactly how to this in each section.
But there is one more obstacle to conquer… The Applicant tracking system!
Applicant tracking system
Over 70% of the CVs are screened by applicant tracking systems (ATS)… Systems that organizations use to filter out irrelevant candidates.
Basically, the applicant tracking system is a large database with all the CVs available.
The recruiter sets his keywords and the system filters the most relevant CVs that matched with the given keywords.
To get through these systems, it is essential to write your CV in their language.
Use the same keywords they use in their job description… But don’t over-use them as the ATS will flag you as spam!
The main idea?
Write your CV humanly but put in some keywords to make sure that you will pass this test.
Your CV eventually will be read by a real human, so don’t try to trick the system with keywords while your CV isn’t targeted.
A professional, targeted CV in a clear CV format is vital.
Use a free CV Template to impress the recruiter immediately
I designed a free online CV Builder that will give your CV a professional look automatically. No more struggle or hours of formatting to make it look decent.Free Online CV Builder
With my flexible CV Templates, you can just follow the format and have a great-looking CV in no time!
The CV templates are scannable by Applicant Tracking Systems and thus will get you noticed! Feel free to check it out. You WILL be impressed :-)
However, what if we would tell you that we improved these CV formats with 3 highly effective focus types that will definitely get you noticed?
