The turn of the year has left us trying to fulfil a number of new resolutions to keep us motivated for coming year. If you are one of the millions who wish to further your career then maybe it may be time to spruce up your CV. Whether you are looking for your umpteenth contract or you are new to the contractor community, your CV may need a slight makeover to get you that all important next placement.
An outdated CV is not an ideal tool for job hunting and will often hold you back from a successful application. Here are a few tips to maintaining an up to date profile.
Cover Letter
A cover letter is always helpful in showing a client why you would like to work with them. Keep it nice and easy to read, but be careful not to encroach too much on the information in your CV, you do not want them to stop reading before they have read your profile.
Skills
Be sure to put all the relevant skills you have acquired in your résumé. Contractors are usually hired for a sole purpose and would therefore require a specific skills set. Whether you are a java expert or a master of SQL, you will need to specify relevant skills if you are looking for a precise role. Why would a client hire you if you have not displayed the skills they need?
Personalisation
The one size fits all approach to job applications does not work with contracting, so each application requires a tailored CV to match the contract specification. Reading what the client requires will hold you in good stead because it means you can mould your profile to client expectations.
Length
Your CV need not be pages and pages of your entire history. The client only needs to know what is relevant to the role you are applying for. They do not want to be reading for a very long time because this will lead to them becoming disinterested.
Enjoy the few tips we hope will enable you to get your next role. We hope this helps you have a very happy new year.
Good Luck!