25 July 2008
	FM Campus Recruitment Edition Write a winning CV By Gerard le Roux

Employers want people who add value. Your CV should convince them that you have the skills they require Your CV is critical - it is your first impression. It lets a potential employer know you are special - or not. It could say, "I'm average". Or, if you apply some of the smart, street-wise principles here, it could say, "I've got something special". To be sure, your CV has the power to influence decisions when it comes to your job prospects, so take some time to make it good. Is there a magic formula to writing a CV? No. Is there a format which will beguile, seduce or mesmerise an employer into hiring you? No. Will fancy paper, inserted pictures, Roman columns and scrolls do the job? Not really. In general, getting fancy is not going to increase your chances. In fact, making your CV more complicated may mess things up for you. The closest you get to having a magic formula is to get the underlying principles right. And this is the most important aspect: understand that there are only two things on a potential employer's mind: 1. What can this person do for me? In other words: what value can this person deliver? What skills do they have that could be of use to me? What problems can they solve? How can they make things better for the business? How will they make money for me? How will they save money for me? How will they make things go faster? What gap will they fill? There is a variety of answers to these questions that should be reflected in your CV. Some entail the skills you have - the ability to communicate, to work with figures, to write reports, to process and distil information, to analyse financial data, to explain complex financial concepts, to produce a set of financial statements, to organise paperwork and to manage other people, for example. Others may involve the knowledge you have the latest accounting standards, management practices, business or financial analysis methodologies or legal frameworks. Still others may involve something else often ignored - your attitude, work ethic, ability to follow instructions, willingness to do the "dirty" work or ability to work as part of a team. These are critical areas in which you can differentiate yourself. Most importantly, these points serve to provide a list of benefits the employer is looking for: projects completed on time; a productive team that meets its targets; a "zero findings" audit; astute reporting that can be relied on to identify key issues; financial statements that comply with standards; communication and service which improves customer satisfaction ratings. Your CV needs to show that you understand these points. They have a strong influence on the decision whether to call you in for an interview. 2. Why should I believe the candidate? There are various ways to present your "hard" evidence or establish your credibility: Your qualifications: degrees, courses, formal training. Your university: institutions with credibility rub off on you. Work experience: anything you have done that has developed skills which can be of use in the workplace, such as time management, communication, dealing with conflict or teamwork. Don't just say, "waiting at Joe Soap's restaurant". Add, "I learned the value of a friendly, service oriented approach"; "I was consistently ranked number one for tips received" or "I earned regular awards for up-selling' customers". Testimonials: include in your CV extracts of the positive things people have said about you in testimonials. It shows you can be trusted. Your leadership roles: did you lead a successful project at university; were you chairman of a committee or captain of a sports team? You should, however, also add what you learned from the role. Did you learn the value of teamwork, proper record keeping or following proper legal procedures? Show how the role has made you valuable in the workplace. Gerard le Roux is a CV writer, job hunting coach and the founder of www.jobsearching.co.za