How to approach and prepare your ideal CV (Resume).

There are many opinions in the world of Human Resources and recruitment agencies about what constitutes a good CV. For this article, the terms CV, Curriculum Vitae, and Resume can be interchanged.

While no one idea is right or wrong, there are specific requirements that must be met. You will never be able to satisfy all the schools of thought about layout and composition. That would be a shame.

Some people believe that a professionally-produced CV is too formal and formulaic and does not convey the personality or character. Although it may be true, it conveys the talents, skills and capabilities of the individual, which is much more important than a CV.

A CV serves one purpose and only one function. It must be used to obtain a job interview. Once that has been done, the CV is complete. The rest of the process is up to you and your candidate. This will include interviews with potential employers, often through supervisors or managers, depending on the employer.

Interviewers come from many backgrounds and are able to conduct interviews at different levels of proficiency. Human Resource (HR) specialists, who in most cases have undergone some professional training in conducting successful interviews, are at one end of this scale. Although it cannot be assumed, they are all experts at interviewing, it is reasonable to assume they can handle most basic requirements.

The other end of the spectrum is often populated by more senior individuals, who are ultimately responsible for making appointments. However, they often lack professional interview skills and make poor appointments. There are many interviewers who can conduct interviews, some very good and others not so good.

Professionally written CVs are designed to attract one or more “gatekeepers” to secure the candidate an interview. This is the most common mistake made by job seekers and candidates. This standard error is not related to age, experience, or skill set. It can be made by both very senior and relatively junior individuals.

All of the steps, beginning with the CV, are designed to lead to a job offer. This distinction is crucial. This is the correct sequence: First, to get you a job offer. The sequence ends with you making the decision whether or not to accept the job offer.