Monday, May 10, 2010

What Is An Achievements Information In The Curriculum Vitae and How to Write a Good CV Using It?

When employers start to search for the applicant for a certain job position, they receive a large quantity of applications and offers. Tens, and may be also hundreds of resumes and cover letters. And for best allocation your resume (or CV) should underline and put in the forefront those words of your career which specify in your achievements and successes. Because all employers wish to find such employees which would add value of all organization. What means “to add values”? In each concrete case can be designated different things, but as a rule this increase of profit (for example at reduction of expenses or at productivity increase) or perhaps improvement of relations inside of the firm. You should show in the resume the last achievement in these directions. To accent the all resume on the your achievements.

Let’s admit, you can list at least 4-5 essential achievements – and your resume will get at once essential advantage. Though your competitors also will be the same competent and formed candidates on a discussed jobs positions. But they may be don’t know how to write a good CV. The most frequent error at resume writing is that people write about places and posts, but do not write about successes and achievements. When you know how to write a CV, you wiil use Achievements highlighting.
So, what is achievement from the point of view of a resume writing?

Achievements are those results which personally you have achieved, carrying out a certain role. It not duties, not duty regulations. It that you on a certain job position have received as a result of the activity and that has brought real advantage of your organization. Well, for example, instead of declaring, that you headed a command from 10 persons, it is possible to write a resume with declaration, that you have planned, have arranged and have spent such team-building day which has rallied a command and has improved mutual relations within office. That has led to the general increase of whole-command’s working capacity and profit increase on x% in a month. May be only 1%. May be only 0.5%!

It is necessary to tell about the increasing of profit volume because employers are interested in improvement of relations of employees as a rule only from the point of view of real results. Any of your achievements (relations in collective, working capacity increase, reduction of expenses) as a result influences this factor – on profit increase.

Let’s try to build definition of “Achievement”

Achievement means, that a certain specific problem has been solved. Create resume with achievements which is described approximately so:
– write what exactly has been used for the problem decision (for purpose achievement)
– write in CV about results

For example: new technology of processing of paper documents (OCR) had been introduced to reduce time of entering of one page. Good for resume! Result was 50% of acceleration (reduction in price) of procedure. About what will tell to the employer the words above? The following of your skills have been used: the initiative, creative abilities, knowledge of new technologies. Now for same time two employees can do work of 2+2*50%=3! And not requested salary of the third man became direct increase in profit. Perfect for resume! Your achievements should makes impression. The samples of increasing in goods turnover will not give you any advantages if you do not define of what methods you create to build such results. And also particularly results, with real digits. Build a resume without vague adjectives as they do not give a clear picture of your successes.

And here after perusal of certain concrete and real your achievements most likely the employer will wish to analyze them and discuss with you how it is possible to apply them in his business. So you will achieve an overall objective of any resume. No, resumes actually write not for the guaranteed employment – the resume only should help you have been invited on an interview! The increasing of the chance of inviting on interview – it is not easy business. You should give to the employer the strong reasons they have wanted to talk to you!

Usually employers search for achievements in certain areas. Therefore in the resume you should specify in successes in achievement of those purposes which are specific to this business. Of course, if you know this sector of the market then you know also what achievements will seem the considerable. And when you write about such achievements, you receive much more chance of to be invited on interview. List of skills can help too, but achievements – the proof, you can carry out the skills practically.

Oleg Savchenko is the author of the eBbook “Expert Resume Writing” and the site “How to Build a Resume”. He is expert in the theory and practice of building a resume and he can teach You – just subscribe to eMail Course. It’s Absolutely Free!