Make more money at the start

This could be one of the most valuable pieces of information you ever read.  It’s about knowing how you can make thousands of dollars before you begin looking for a new job.  While that may sound too good to be true, it is achievable for everyone.  Let me explain.

When employers sort through hundreds of job applications (CV/Résumé, Cover Letter and/or Selection Criteria), they are not only reviewing to see who is suitable to be interviewed and who isn’t, but they are also grading each of the good applicants into an order of merit list and also attributing a salary range to each.

What most people do:

Most job seekers list their work history in the form of ‘Responsibilities’ in their CV/Résumé.  In essence, they are asking the employer to make a decision about hiring them based on the duties they were required to perform in the past.  It’s what most people do, because from a job seekers’ perspective, this makes sense. While this is what most people do, others who land great jobs quicker do something different.

They say similar things, but stated in the form of quantifiable achievements.  For example, instead of simply saying ‘responsible for customer service”, it is more impactful to say ‘In 2012 received formal recognition for demonstrating exceptional consultative sales and front-line customer service skills during peak business periods.’

If this is difficult for you to relate to, in terms of how you would talk about yourself, then it’s probably a good thing.  At this point your opinion doesn’t matter if it doesn’t sound like how you would talk about yourself or not, because you’re not making the decision to interview you.  Please note, I’m not talking about overstating what you’ve done, or about lying.  The goal is to impress the reader with quality facts and have them understand the real potential impact you can bring to their organisation. 

The first statement of ‘I am responsible for Customer Service’ is a ho-hum statement when read by an employer.  The second is an attention grabber.

The real benefits of having an application that is written in a style that promotes and entices the reader to know more about you, include:

• You get interviewed more often
• You feel more confident when speaking to employers
• You are less frustrated by the changing jobs process
• The employer pictures you as a valuable prospect and makes the salary negotiation phase much easier, as you’re already starting the negotiations from a higher position.

So what will a well-written application cost you? - anywhere from $250-$900 for anything of decent quality.

How much more salary can you get if you’re already starting from a higher position (because of your well written CV), are more confident to talk about your ability to add value and know how to negotiate well?  That is an individual answer, but everyone can say at least at least $2000.  Even if you negotiate an extra $1.00 per hour starting rate, that equates to an extra $2000 per year on a full time job.

Isn’t a return that more than doubles your investment worth looking at?  It all depends on how much of a leg up you want in this current competitive job seeking process. 

Pitfalls:

• Yes you can get someone to write a CV for you for $100 and more, but if it just looks pretty and doesn’t showcase your achievements in a language that any employer will understand, is that what you set out to achieve?
• It is now ‘old-school’ thinking to have one document that you use to apply for multiple job vacancies.  Anything remotely generic will miss the mark on most occasions.  Is that what you’re happy with?  For maximum effect, each application should be targeted to every job you apply for.  A good test when seeking professional CV/Résumé assistance is to ask how the end product can be tailored for multiple job applications.
• More ‘old-school’ thinking is to write a Cover Letter for each application to accompany your CV/Résumé.  The theory behind this is OK, IF the employer reads the Cover Letter.  Our experience, and also feedback from other recruiters and Hiring Managers is that the most efficient way to quickly assess a candidate’s suitability against a set of job requirements is to go straight to the CV and quickly scan the most likely areas where we will find what we’re looking for. In most cases a Cover Letter just provides information about how good a person they are and doesn’t address the requirements.  Therefore, rather than waste time looking at the Cover Letter, we go straight to the CV/Résumé.  We will spend between 6 and 30 seconds on an application.  If in that time we don’t see sufficient information that matches our requirements, we move on to the next application. 

Don’t waste your hard-earned money on products and services that offer very little return.  Understand how you can improve your success rate in not only getting to more interviews, but to increase your starting salary.  This is very possible for everyone who invests wisely.

To discuss how investing in your future can make you more money at the start of the job changing process, call us on 1300 366 104, or email info@transciv.com.au.

Why ask someone to form an opinion about you on a product that presents a version of you below what you really are?