In Lesson 1 I claimed that a good CV is a life description and a vision for the future. But what is a CV, what is it good for? Well it is just one way of presenting yourself and nothing more. 

A CV can however, contrary to popular belief, be presented any way you like – as long as it represents you as a person. Your CV should be your marketing tool. Do you see now that the possibilities are endless?

That is why I work strategically with my clients and see our work as a personal marketing campaign. The employment search is long-term and there are no shortcuts.

Our work is designed to analyse you as a person. What are your qualities, knowledge, strength and goals? We also analyse the company you are interested in and the person who it is anticipated will read your CV. Nothing is left to chance. 

Did you notice that I did not mention your weaknesses as part of analysing you? I am actually not the least bit interested in your weaknesses and I really hope that you have never mentioned them in a CV. I have personally seen this fatal mistake made. Questions about your weaknesses can be asked in an interview, but you choose yourself what you disclose in your CV and no one has asked about your weaknesses at this stage. 

One more time. If the employment search process is a personal marketing campaign then your CV is your advertisement. Can you imagine an ad that tells you what the product’s weaknesses are?

Interview training increases your chances

In my interview training I teach a method of handling questions about weakness that is not based on the classical model of choosing a weakness that can be interpreted as a strength: “Sometimes it happens that I work too much.” I really don’t believe in these clichés and think that recruiters have heard those worn out answers plenty of times. Which is why it is easy to see through them.

There are at least two ways to look at the issue of weaknesses. Firstly is the very traditional Swedish way of saying that one must work harder to change what we are not so good at. Which is of course really boring and in the end means we are only so-so at everything. The other is to focus on developing our strengths. Accept that you are not good at certain things but make sure that you are really good in the areas where your talents lie. Much more fun!

If you accept this way of thinking you can instead bring up irrelevant weaknesses. If for example that you are applying for a job as a fashion designer then you can say that you are a poor administrator. Or that you are interested in a job as a nuclear physicist then admit that you are not great at writing sonnets. Do you get the point?

Because of course you are applying for jobs that you actually believe that you would be good at? Then there is no reason to make up weaknesses just because the recruiter is going to ask about them.

Now I got sidetracked. I am supposed to be writing about CVs and not interviews. But while I am at it I can mention something that is important to keep in mind. The whole point of a CV is to get to the interview. Not to get you the job. This is really important to remember. If you write a CV with the belief that it will directly led to a job then you are not aiming right. With the wrong target in focus it is difficult to hit the bull’s eye.

This also has me thinking about something that bothers many of my customers. Applying for jobs is extremely draining on the self-confidence. Particularly if you are trying to break into a new line of work. But to apply for a job is not the same as getting it. So save your thoughts about whether or not you are going to get the job. You can always apply. It is not even guaranteed that you will receive an answer from the company so why worry unnecessarily?

Remember too that it is largely the company’s responsibility to determine if you are the right person for the position.

In summary

1. Your CV is the advertisement in your personal marketing campaign. What does that mean to you?

2. Your CV does not need to get you the job. It is enough if it gets you to the interview!

3. Take it easy and take one step at a time. Sending a CV is not the same as getting a new job.