The Biggest Challenges In Creating Your CV and How To Overcome Them

Your CV is a key document in helping you to land your next job.

A good CV will get you more job interview invitations.

While this might seem really obvious it can often be a challenge to create a good CV.

So what are some of the biggest challenges in creating your CV and how do you overcome them?

Challenge 1: You Don’t Do The Groundwork

Think about building a house.

Before you can build you have to do the groundwork or foundations.

Your CV is no different.

The foundations of a good CV is the time you spend thinking about your skills, experience, knowledge, attributes and achievements.

It’s also about spending time getting some insights from others who can probably identify qualities in you that you don’t always recognise in yourself.

Making the time to focus on this stage is definitely going to help you create a much better CV.

Challenge 2: You Use One Version of Your CV Every Time

We all know that time is something that’s often difficult to find to focus on your CV, especially if currently in a job.

As a result you might be tempted to create a CV as a task and finish activity and then use it over and over again.

This is a huge mistake.

Some tailoring is always going to be necessary, especially your professional profile and your achievements.

Take time to do some tailoring to create a CV that will give you a better chance of success with your application.

Challenge 3: Writing Positively About Yourself

Possibly one of the biggest challenges for the accountants and professional people that I work with.

I can understand why.

We as professionals tend to just get on with the job, do it well because that’s what’s expected.

The thing is if you are not positively writing about yourself and the value that you can bring you are putting yourself at a disadvantage.

The solution in my view is to talk positively about yourself and make sure that every claim you make can be backed up with an example.

That way you can promote yourself authentically.

If you are looking to create, update or improve your CV, check out my no cost online course.

About the Author Duncan Brodie

Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.

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