BOOST YOUR IMAGE WITH SHARPER MORE POWERFUL CV

This is also really relevant when putting together your business CV. Take the time to read this advice and implement it.

Boost your image with a sharper, more powerful CV
11 April 2007 at 11h00

When a potential employer's advertisement states that you should send a CV of no longer than two pages and yours is six, 10 or 20 pages long, how do you condense the information relating to all your years of experience to the required length and still cover everything that is important?

CV writer and job-hunting coach Gerard le Roux offers some important pointers: First you need to understand the thinking behind the recruiter's request for a two-page CV, he says. "Companies are concerned about the cost of fax paper and toner, and don't want their fax machines to be busy for hours on end. They also want to avoid paging through lengthy CVs, which often include unnecessary documentation such as primary school certificates. "At a more sophisticated level, recruiters want to see if applicants can get to the point and present their credentials concisely, and sell their skills/expertise fast, Le Roux says. "It's a test of the candidate's mind and thought processes, and their ability to communicate." In fact, recruiters will gladly accept a longer CV, if you're clearly the right person for the position advertised, he says. "What they are actually saying is: 'Make your presentation fast, powerful and concise. Use three or four pages, if necessary, but make them easy to read, snappy and relevant.' "

An obvious first step in cutting down on the number of pages is not to have a decorative cover page."This does nothing for you - in fact, it irritates and annoys readers," he says. Now the first page of your CV will include all your personal details. Le Roux advises that you include only the most important at this stage of the recruiting process: full name, ID number, languages (if you speak any languages other than English, which is a given). The layout of your CV can make a difference in terms of space saving. "Check the font size you are using: don't go too big as this will make you look unprofessional," he advises. "As a guideline, when using Times New Roman or Garamond typefaces, use a maximum font size of 11 or 12. You could go as small as 10 point with the body text. With Verdana, Arial or Tahoma, you can go up to a maximum of about 11 points, or as small as 8 or 9 points."Check the line spacing: don't increase this to more than 125%. "If you are using a small font, adjust the line height up to about 125%. Also make sure that your margins are set at no bigger than 2cm all around. In fact, you could go down to 1cm."

While most CVs use the entire left hand side of the page for headings, Le Roux advises against this as it takes up valuable space. "Rather run copy across the whole width of the page beneath the heading."Next, look closely at the content of your CV to see what details you could safely leave out. "Only include the most relevant details - the best of the best - and information that may have a direct bearing on a decision about whether to interview you or not," he says.

In listing details of your education, for example, don't include outdated and irrelevant information, like your junior school subjects. "You may also be taking up valuable space by listing courses that are not related to your current career path, or academic results that either don't do you any credit or have no bearing on your suitability as a worker. "In outlining your work history, bear in mind that work experience dating from more than 10 years ago isn't as important as more recent experience." Summarise clearly and concisely what you did at your older jobs, focusing on their essence. These jobs need to be listed, but not described exhaustively. It's unlikely that they covered crucial areas that will affect a hiring decision."In outlining your more recent career, learn to categorise job functions, he suggests. "Instead of listing each point on a separate line, group functions into categories, such as administration,then list multiple points concisely in each category. For example, a CV entry could read: "Client Service: answering telephonic queries, making service calls, monitoring follow-up and response times."

If you have completed some long projects or courses and it is important to list them as they all have some bearing on your attractiveness as an applicant - for example, if you are in IT and have worked on and developed a knowledge of many programs, packages, languages and technologies - then include an addendum at the back of your CV, he suggests. "In the main body of your CV - say, the first two or three pages - include the most valuable detail. Then refer readers to the addendum if they want to know more. "If you've been with a company for several years and have held two different positions, should you list both positions? Le Roux suggests that you combine the information into one sentence, for example, stating that you started out with the company as a sales representative but were promoted to sales manager after two years as a result of your good performance. "This tells a better and still accurate story," he says.

It is also critical to give thought to how you word things, he says. Don't be long-winded. Use short sentences. "Simply, clarify, use easy language - you'll find it uses a lot less space," he says. To sum up, Le Roux says, "Don't be obsessed with having a two-page CV. If you're a good candidate you'll be allowed some latitude - but don't irritate recruiters by sending long-winded, irrelevant details. "And if you're after a new look, a sharper image, or want to make a more powerful impact, it's worth giving your CV the two-page makeover. You'll come out with a better senseof what you can deliver. "You'll be sending recruiters this message: 'I'm a clear thinker, I'm a good communicator, I won't bore you, I'm confident in my abilities, I get to the point, I'm decisive, and I know what I'm about' - and that's all good," he says.

Contact Gerard le Roux on gerard@jobsearching.co.za or visit www.wowcv.net for more free advice on CV writing or details of his CV writing service.

Impti du Toit is a freelance writer, editor and publicist who can be contacted on 021 762 4364.