If you are considering a career change, a move to another function or another company, there are some considerations and important decisions to be made in advance. This includes your personal life planning, your professional development in terms of career steps and job content, and development opportunities in relevant industries.
As soon as you have completed this first phase and decided to switch, the second phase of the active search for relevant vacant positions begins. You can activate your network, search for job offers on relevant Internet portals and on the career sites of companies and headhunters. Testimonials are quickly scanned, an enthusiastic cover letter is written, highlighting your own skills in relation to the profile described in the advertisement. When it comes to the resume, the energy sometimes dries up. Either the CV that was created for the current position is simply supplemented with the current job. Or a general CV was created in preparation for the active application phase, which is then only supplemented with the current date of each application.
However, in the case of written applications by email or letter, your CV is your business card, your most important instrument. That is why you have to revise your CV individually for each application. How a CV should be structured in general, there are many recommendations on this and have already been reported here (Job opportunities through optimal CV, Dec. 2012). It is a good idea to first create a general CV according to the valid criteria at the beginning of the search. Of course, the external form, chronology and completeness is very important. Just as many companies still like to see CVs with photo and date of birth. But HR managers who have to evaluate a large number of applications in a short period of time are looking for keywords and phrases in cover letters and CVs that match the profile they are looking for. If, as an accountant, you mention GAAP in your cover letter, this should also appear on your CV. In the same way that a sales manager who is applying for a new team and has experience with it should mention this explicitly in the CV under the relevant career station. So take a close look at the job description: what qualities and qualifications are being sought? And then consider: what experience do you offer, in which position of your career have you proven exactly these qualifications? And if it is not the exact qualification, what similar or transferable skills do you offer? On which exact job have you proven them? After this preparation, the implementation begins. Each stage in your CV should always include the following points:
This last point is the most important in deciding whether the company will enter into a dialogue with you. This is where you set the priorities for each application according to the profile you are looking for. List here the examples you have worked out when comparing the job advertisement with your own profile. Delete what is not relevant for this position.
In case of doubt, it is better if the CV is a little longer than that it is short but the recruiter cannot see that you have the qualities you are looking for.
It takes time to create a good resume. However, you will find that this time is a good investment and pays off with a positive response.
