It's not how good you are, it's how good your CV is

The job had your name written all over it.  You ticked all the right boxes – qualifications, skills, experience, the lot.  But you didn’t get it.  More worrying still, you didn’t even make the interview.

In my 20+ years as an IT recruitment consultant I’ve seen this happen time and again.  Excellent candidates who fell at the first hurdle - their CV landed them straight in the reject pile.

Why you need the best CV you can get

The market is more competitive than ever – the Covid crisis means greater numbers of well-qualified candidates are applying for fewer jobs.

Recruiters and employers must wade through mountains of CVs for every role.  They swiftly sort them into a reject pile, a maybe pile and an interview pile.  If your CV does not immediately demonstrate you have what’s required then you are headed for the reject pile.  That’s where I come in – to make sure you make the interview stack!

How I help you create CVs that get interviews

Together we’ll analyse your qualifications, skills and experience to make a compelling case for hiring you.  Then the coaching starts.

Helping you become employer smart and CV sharp

I’ve studied thousands of recruitment ads and job descriptions (reading between the lines as well as the words themselves).  I’ve sat with countless employers as they’ve reviewed CVs – noting what they like and what they don’t. 

Once I’ve shared these insights you’ll be much better at analysing each individual opportunity and identifying what it is the employer is really looking for.  I’ll then show you how to create a tailored CV where your most relevant selling points jump straight out at them.

Showing you are an achiever

Have you ever met anyone who looks great on paper but who is a waste of space in practice?  So have employers. 

What gets them excited is evidence of achievements.  I’ll show you how to create tailored CVs that demonstrate you’ve used your expertise to add value in previous roles – roles that are relevant to this specific opportunity.  A track record of success is much more compelling than a dull list of courses, responsibilities and job titles – make it easy for the employer to see how you’ll benefit their organisation.

Making you more recruitment savvy

It’s easy to get lost on your career journey without an experienced guide.  I’ll share tips, tools and techniques for getting the best out of online job boards, recruitment sites and social media platforms.  I’ll also give you an insider’s guide to the workings of recruitment consultancies – how to build good relationships with professionals who can help you and how to be sure your CV works with their IT systems. 

We’ll also discuss particular challenges that you’ve encountered, or which might prove an issue going forward, and explore possible strategies for overcoming them.

How the coaching works

Extended coaching session

I’ll read your current CV then we have a 1.5 hour one-to-one consultation

You start by outlining your goals and aspirations.  Then we’ll talk about some of your recent work achievements and explore them in depth – the idea is to see how these can be used to create a persuasive case for hiring you when the ideal career move presents itself.

I’ll then compare what your CV is telling me and what I’ve just heard, providing constructive feedback.  There’s often a big gap between what you think you’re saying and what the reader is actually getting!

By questioning, and carefully listening, I’ll give constructive feedback on how well your CV communicates the “real you”.  Doing this yourself, and being objective, is almost impossible.

Then I’ll share my successful approach to CV creation and coach you, using my extensive industry experience, on how best how to present your most valuable attributes and relevant achievements.  This will involve listening carefully as you describe additional achievements, discuss what to write, how much to write, and how to structure it.  You’ll discover where the line is between “too much information” and “I want to know more – let’s interview”.

Once you’re confident that you’ve mastered the approach you’ll complete the rest of your CV in your own time.   

I’ll also show you how to analyse job opportunities and vacancy adverts then tailor your CV (quickly and easily) so that the most relevant points are to the fore and framed in terms of your achievements.  We’ll also look at the recruitment industry and how you can use different resources, sites, LinkedIn and professional recruiters to best advantage.

Final review session

You send me your new CV and I will review it and give you feedback.  We spend about 20 minutes reviewing and refining it.

After the consultation you’ll receive comprehensive notes that you can refer back to every time you tackle a new application.

Why a CV coach is preferable to a CV writer

Why not just get a professional to write it for you?  For three reasons:

• A general CV you use for multiple applications is nowhere near as effective as a CV tailored to a specific role.  I give you the expertise to work out exactly what the employer wants and then structure your CV accordingly.  You’ll hugely improve your success rate because your CV will press the right buttons and instantly show you’re the ideal fit.
• A CV writer gives you a piece of paper.  But I help you acquire new skills and insights that will prove invaluable throughout your career.
• When you write your own CV it comes across as genuine and engaging rather than cold and impersonal.  The interview will also go better if you are the person the recruiter or employer is expecting to meet!

Contact us now.  Because you never get a second chance to make a first impression. 

Who am I?

Over the last 20+ years I’ve placed a range of professionals, from IT Directors to IT Graduates, and most roles in between - including Programme Managers, Project Managers, PMO, Business Analysts, Business Systems Managers, Architects, Infrastructure Manager as well as Network Engineers, Developers, Support Engineers across most technologies. Using my industry expertise, I can advise you on how to use the tools to get your next career move.

Why use me?

I hate seeing great candidates with CVs that don’t do them justice and whose careers suffer as a result.  I spent two years delivering Jobsearch coaching to over 400 executives and professionals referred directly to me by the Department for Work & Pensions and all of the techniques I’ll share with you are the same ones that proved so successful for all these candidates. I coached candidates from a range of industries and in a variety of roles such as finance, sales, HR as well as IT.  I’m passionate about helping people create great CVs – but you have to contact me first!

Free introductory session

Curious? Then you are welcome to book a free initial 10 minutes of chat where we get to know each other.  You can send me your current CV before this session but it’s not essential. 

For an initial free chat or to book a consultation, contact Vicki Douglas via email vickidouglas@genium.biz or call Vicki on 01278 641550 or 07973 788308

Price for this coaching service is £295 (including VAT)

Don't just take my word for it, here's what customers say...

When I contacted Vicki I needed a lot of help with my CV and direction on where my career was going.  Vicki asked me focussed questions to help me realise my career goals.  Her advice was simple but extremely effective.  The changes made to my CV enabled me to secure a great position and my career is now moving forward in the right direction.  Thank you Vicki for your advice! - Business Analyst

I had been applying for many jobs and not getting to interview stage when a good friend suggested I should speak to Vicki for some advice. Vicki quickly identified some major structural and content problems with my CV that would definitely be affecting its impact. My new fresh and powerful CV has enabled me to get interviews from all my subsequent job applications. I can thoroughly recommend Vicki's services to anyone who is unsure if their CV is having the desired impact. - Client Director

I have seen over and over again, from both sides of the recruitment process, the very valuable input that Vicki brings to bringing CVs and Job Descriptions alive by focusing them at what they are there to do whilst always keeping them accurate and realistic - it is an impressive thing to see when done well, and Vicki does this better than anyone else I have come across. - Network Manager