#10: I feel the need, the need for speed
But take your time with your CV.
OK, so this time I’m not going to give you a nice storytelling set up.
I’m just gonna get straight into it. ish.
You’d have to be living under a rock to not know that finally the long awaited sequel to Top Gun is out in cinemas this week.
To all you rock dwellers out there, I summarily apologise for any offence. But you really need to get out more. This is as big as Star Wars Episode 9.
I warn you, there’s at least two hilarious Top Gun puns in this thing that’s passing as a job search guide. So watch out.
The film is usefully set 36 years after the original 1986 movie (some maths there), with Cruise reprising the role of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, this time running a team of cadets through their Top Gun training.
I expect that much like in the 80s film, these pilots will all be gagging to get up in the air and ragging the arse out of an F-18 at mach 1.8 (that 10 miles an hour off 1,200mph), taking the piss out of each other, vying for the love interest and not listening to the training.
But do we always need to go at speed to get things done that are important to us?
Segue alert:
Take, um, applying for jobs, for example. (Didn’t see that coming, did you?)
You’re keen/eager/desperate to find or are casually looking1 for a new role.
You’ve dusted off your CV, pimped it up, added you most recent role, and you’re good to go, right? Let’s get it out there, yeah?
Er, no.
There’s a time and a place for a bias for action, and I argue this is not it.
Taking your time to hone your CV and get to a master copy is an extremely worthwhile activity. Don’t do it, and you might as well try and pull a 4g negative dive.
This is for two reasons.
1 - Punting off your hastily plumped up version is not going to show you in your best light. Particularly if you last updated it ten years ago when on-screen paper clips helped you write CVs.
2 - You’ve not taken the opportunity to align it with the job(s) you’re applying for, have you?
We call this approach to job hunting “spray and pray” - hoping something will stick.
So here’s my 4 Tip newsletter-sized guide to taking a touch more time over it.
Tip 1: When adding your current or most recent job, go over all previous jobs and cut them back by a third.
Carry out this practice every time and you’ll keep your CV at a manageable length, with more useful and interesting stuff at the top, and less about what you were doing in 1994.
No one cares that much about 30 years ago, unless it’s an old movie franchise being given a sequel.
The content should form a funnel shape.
Have some ancient jobs? List them (company, title, dates) in a section called “Earlier Roles”.
Tip 2: If you’ve had successive jobs at the same place, you only need to list the company once.
At the top of the most recent job. Don’t waste valuable page real estate (or recruiter reading time) repeating it 4 times.
Tip 3: Make sure you have a Core Skills/Expertise section.
This is the most tweakable bit of your CV and should be in 2-3 columns. They are keywords that quickly summarise what you can do. Very useful for both human eyes and ranking tools used by some recruitment systems. Examples are below.
Tip 4: Put your CV side by side on your screen with the job you’re applying for. Objectively compare the job ad’s inevitable shopping list of wants with your CV.
Is it abundantly clear that you meet the criteria? Don’t assume the recruiters can mind read - they cannot. Adjust the core skills section (and indeed anything relevant in the Profile) to more closely match the requirements. Truthfully, obviously.
Not sure if I know what I’m even talking about?
Here’s a quick fly-by from this very evening:
So, much like Maverick and co, I felt the need for speed, so I’ve been writing this at midnight on Monday with a packed week ahead. Which is why you’ve got a slightly abridged email, with arguably more advice bang for your no bucks this time.
Talking of bucks, I’m shortly going to be releasing my paid-for subscription service.
And though I’m no Tom Cruise (I may not have his wealth, but I am north of 6 foot tall at least) you’ll find me releasing detailed how-to videos with my lovely face on them, highly tip-driven written content, templates, and more.
I won’t be charging the earth for it. I want you to get loads of value from it and maintain your subscription, and that won’t happen if it’s prohibitively expensive. Probably a couple of coffees a month. Or something.
Remember, I can be your job search wingman.
Laters,
Phil
Did you know the original film served as a recruitment tool for the US Navy with enlistment applications soaring by 500% in 1987 vs the prior year?
In the socials….
Been a busy week in Socials Land as I’ve launched myself off the runway with Twitter and Instagram accounts. Oh yes. It’s 2022, and I’ve arrived. Give us a follow and you’ll see my job search tips land right into your phone! Amazing! In the meantime:
Here’s a super quick tip on how to structure your CV’s Profile section. Give my Facebook page a like while you’re there.
Here’s a quick video I did tenuously linking the spread of weeds in my garden to a toxic work environment. You kinda need to watch it to get it.
And here’s a picture of some beer a client sent me.
Delete as appropriate. By the way, there is nothing wrong with being desperate to find a new job. If you’re on LinkedIn and not currently in employment, I’d whole heartedly recommend selecting the green “Open to Work” banner.