10 TRUTH’S I’VE LEARNED ABOUT THE JOB SEARCH - Part 1

INTRODUCTION

 Whether you are looking for work voluntarily, or your position has been the victim of a retrenchment and you have no other choice, the search for a new job is among the toughest and most stressful activities that you will ever undertake in the course of your working life.

During my 24-year career in the human resource industry, I have seen and heard the pain associated with the job search from the stories of others who have needed to do so. I have also had my own fair share of experiences with the job search at various points in time during my career. As a result, I can attest to the stress involved. And from my own experience and the experiences of others, I have learned a number of truths about the job search. Here are 10 that I would like to share with you to make your transition to a new job or career as quick and painless as possible.

Truth #1: It’s not always possible or desirable to customize a CV for every position you are targeting

Common wisdom says that you should tailor your CV to each position you’re applying for and that it needs to respond to the requirements outlined in each job advertisement. I don’t know, though, if this is possible to do. After all, while you may have been an accomplished Managing Director of a company in the plastics manufacturing industry, are your achievements relevant to a good role with an electrical appliance manufacturer? If your achievements in the plastics manufacturing company don’t instinctively show that you can manage a P&L statement well, that you can get the best out of vendors, or that you have built a strong team of operational heads, then no amount of customizing your CV is going to work for you.

As well, if you are high up on the corporate ladder, demonstrating that you have enough leadership strength to replicate your past success in a new role or industry is more important to potential employers than the specifics of your achievements except, of course, where your achievements have been truly extraordinary.

In my experience, you will only be able to write two versions of your CV (at most) honestly and comprehensively.

Why?

Over the course of your career, you may not have amassed enough reasonable achievements and examples demonstrating competency and success to be able to write many versions of your CV. In addition, some of your achievements or successes may not be relevant to other positions or in other industries. If you find while updating your CV that you are having to “stretch” your experience, minor achievements, or the importance of a particular stint of work to make them fit what a prospective employer is asking for, you need to be aware that you may come across as less than genuine – particularly during interviews, where you may be asked to elaborate on items from your CV.

The act of writing your CV should be therapeutic. If it isn’t then you haven’t produced your best CV yet.

Why therapeutic?

Like me, I am sure you would have thrown yourself into your job and hardly had enough time to spend with your family let alone ponder on all your work achievements and then update your CV accordingly. So, when you finally do sit down with a cup of coffee to work on your CV, you should be finally able to take stock of all that you have accomplished, including things such as:

• the cost savings you achieved
• the additional revenue you generated
• the new managers you developed
• the new clients you won over
• the increase in employee engagement in your division
• the new products you launched, etc.

 As a result, the updating of your CV should make you feel proud, satisfied, and content that you delivered the results expected by your employers to the best of your capabilities.

TIPS FOR UPDATING YOUR CV

a) Revisit your CV and develop just ONE comprehensive version

b) Save your resume in two formats:

1) as a Word document saved as a PDF file

2) as a PowerPoint presentation saved as a PDF file

c) Use the much shorter and visual PowerPoint presentation when introducing yourself to cold contacts, or those you are not sure how to proceed with

d) Use the Word document for formal job applications and/or to request interviews

~ end of Part 1 ~

Footnote:

In my more than 34 years of work experience, I have been retrenched once and changed careers multi times over. I know how it feels to send out hundreds of resumes and never get any single call back. I have also work with companies helping them transiting their employees. For a long time, I wanted an ally whom I can collaborate in writing down thoughts and piecing out experience of job hunting too. Hence, I reached out to a former colleague, friend and thought-provoker, SK who is currently with Malaysia Airlines. SK and I at one time were with Right Management Inc, a firm specializing in outplacement services globally. Like me, SK is passionate about assisting others to grow their careers. So, together we crafted "10 Truths I've Leart About Job Search"- articles containing the gems derived from both our experiences professional and personally. As always, we hope you will benefit from it and feel more empowered as you progress in your job search. These articles were professionally proof-read and edited by the Proof Reader Maestro himself, George Bohlender.

For more info, write to [email protected]