Following on from Mick Hides informative article in this month’s Tip Offs newsletter from Arras People. Mick explained the importance and reasons behind having an audit system in place for all candidates wishing to register their CVs.
As a project management consultant at Arras, I too audit CVs for Arras People and have been receiving feedback which ranges from the encouraging to the rather cantankerous responses from candidates when receiving the news that their application to register has been rejected. Not surprising really as no-one wants to hear the news that they’ve been rejected but the news is delivered with the best of intentions and in some cases works as a wake up call.
A theme however is beginning to emerge – having discussed the reasoning for the rejection with the more disgruntled candidates, conversations can be defensive and confrontational, particularly with exchanges like: “I haven’t had trouble securing roles in the past, why would I want to change my CV now?!”
The rejection news, although not pleasant can be the instigator for change, for example, I have recently been working with a candidate through our careers clinic service as his application for registration was rejected and he got in touch to discuss the reasoning. Once I had begun to provide feedback to the candidate he agreed that his CV did not reflect his experience and skills and was in need of an overhaul. We are now just polishing his CV and he has already secured an interview through a direct application to an employer having had several months of “no luck”, he is so elated he has booked another clinic with me to go through interview techniques. Having now been through the process and the initial rejection the candidate feels he has new direction and a new found confidence.
Personally I would have been very grateful for some feedback on my own CV when I was looking for employment some time ago – and specifically now in this economic climate this kind of feedback should be cherished as we are being constantly bombarded with rising unemployment figures, large household names going into administration and funding being pulled on initiatives – bleak news indeed from the media. Many project management professionals who are currently out of work or facing lean times at the moment need to think differently about how and where their next opportunity is coming from.
Of course if you think tried and tested approaches to securing a new role which worked well in the past are still effective and relevant today then good luck! However, as we operate in the crux of the current portfolio, programme and project recruitment market today our understanding of the current market and their expectations has meant that our advice is current, informed and trusted. Advice which we readily give through the registration process and hopefully is seen as constructive and helpful to the jobseeker. At the moment the market is flooded with good candidates most of which I am happy to say have clear, concise and coherent CVs. We just want to ensure that many more are making the most of their CVs by being informed and in some cases, transformed!
If you’re a current job seeker within the project management field, consider registering today to see if your experience and skills are making the grade, alternatively if you know you need a helping hand straightaway, consider booking a careers clinic and discussing your goals with us today.
There are indeed some very poor CVs out there. Worse, some of these poor CVs have had a lot of time and TLC spent on them. Why people don’t spend even £50 to try and improve them does puzzle me.
Of course, mine is just perfect.
R.