New year, new career: Update your CV and make 2007 your year to shine!

New Year resolutions help us to make small but significant changes in our lives. Every year a large proportion of us decide to use this opportunity as an incentive to reconsider our career options, but in todayís challenging and dynamic workplace itís sometimes hard to know how to begin the process. Paul Cushing, Managing Director of RPCushing Recruitment, outlines that a powerful and professional CV is the best place to start.

Paul comments: ìIn 2006 we witnessed the number of candidates attracting multiple job offers increase significantly, demonstrating that the balance of power in many professions is tipped towards experienced employees. However, for a candidate to receive multiple job offers they are required to complete the standard recruitment procedure from identifying and applying for a position to securing an interview. To reach that all important interview stage a candidate still needs to produce a winning CV.

ìIt is easy to forget that a CV is the first impression that a prospective employer has of you, and as they only allocate 20-30 seconds to scan a CV and place it into one of three piles: yes, no and maybe, you donít have long to impress. To make your CV stand out from the crowd in the right way, always ensure it is professional and relevant to the job you are applying for.î

Paul believes that a CV should never be over complicated, he adds: ìKeep it simple and adopt a clean design, which is easy to read and in a recognisable font. This will have a much greater impact as employers are only interested in your professional achievements and not your design ability. A personal profile including your contact details, education, qualifications and professional memberships, and skills such as IT and languages, should all be mentioned first to outline your background. Work history is always provided in chronological order, without gaps as this will arouse suspicion, precisely detailing your responsibilities. Donít be afraid to sell your skills, for each job application go through your CV and highlight the specific experience and attributes that proves your ability to successfully deliver in the position.

ìHaving outlined why you are relevant for the role, the CV should conclude with your professional and personal achievements and outside interests, offering the potential employer an insight into your personality and demonstrating the energy and spark that you will bring to the new role.

ìNever forget the importance of grammar and spelling checks, so try to get someone objective to read your CV. Also, ensure the accuracy of all the details and dates as companies will, and do, carry out reference/employment checks.î

Paul concludes: ìDonít put a photo on a CV or anything else that detracts from your skills, an employer wants to know about your abilities, not how you look. Finally, put yourself in the employerís shoes, would your CV keep you interested? î

Once that important first interview has been secured, visit RPCushing Recruitmentís website ñ www.rpcushing.co.uk to receive the recruitment consultancyís top tips for ensuring your interview is a success and securing your new job.