Creating a High Impact CV to Win it Contracts |
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By: Dave Chaplin Posted: 2009-12-12 06:19:31 |
| How many CVs do you think an agent receives when they advertise a new contract role?With so many people looking for work, agents are getting hundreds of applicants for each contract available. That means that, at most, you have just 10 seconds to impress the agent with your CV in order to get to the next stage.Trying to win a contract is very different from applying for a permanent job.As a contractor, you are a business-to-business service supplier, so you need high-impact marketing collateral to get you to the sales meeting - or interview - where you can pitch your product - you.Even if you have a successful 30-year track record and five doctorates, unless you can communicate this information efficiently, you won't win any contracts. And remember it's not the best contractors who win the best contracts, it's the contractors who are best at winning contracts who get the work. So, you need a high impact 'killer' CV to get over the first hurdle - getting offered an interview.What should you include in your CV?Put yourself in the agent's shoes and image you've got 200 CVs to read before creating the shortlist to send to the client. Now, which CVs is the agent likely to pick - those that give a detailed life story, or those that say exactly what the agent wants to read and what the client has asked for?In ten seconds or fewer, you must prove to the agent that:- You have the skills the agent's client is looking for - You have loads of relevant and successful experience applying those skills - You are, in fact, exactly the person they are looking for.To do that, your CV needs to be targeted, tailored exactly to the needs of the contract you are trying to win. You might have several degrees and 20 years experience, but if they're not directly relevant to the role, leave them out.There's no point offering a 'sweetie jar' full of all your skills in case there is something the agent might fancy - agents don't have the time to read essays to try and spot if you are what they are after - your CV will just get filed in the bin!The front page - your 10 second windowTarget your CV with three sections on the front page:- Profile - this is what you are - Skills and expertise - this is what you do - Achievements - this is things you've done.Only include the skills and expertise you have that are relevant to the job. You'll have more success if you include tangible results and outcomes, with numbers where possible, in your achievements - things like 'Designed software that reduced processing time from three days to three minutes, saving the client £200K'.'Killer CV' second pageIf the agent gets to this page, then you've done well! Now you have the agent interested, don't mess it up. The agent knows you've got the skills and experience; now you need to provide the reassurance that you have:- Worked for the 'right kind' of organisations - Had past contracts renewed, demonstrating your staying power - Recent examples of applying the key skills and experience.Keep personal details brief: Include a brief overview of education, training and hobbies. Education becomes increasingly irrelevant as you gain experience. Training must be relevant. And legitimate hobbies are great, as they show you are human.Target your CVYour CV is a marketing tool to get you to the next stage in the sale process - the interview. So to make your marketing tool most effective, make sure you understand your market (i.e. your client) and what they want (i.e. the reason they have advertised this contract).If you are new to contracting, creating your first high impact targeted CV is probably one of the most important steps to winning your first contract. Get this wrong, and you may never win a contract, no matter how good you are. |
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