There are seven ways of putting yourself on paper so as to impress interviewers who read about you and then want to speak/meet you for a general interview and/or a competency-based interview through a telephone interview, Skype interview or a face-to-face interview. These seven ways are:
- General Curriculum Vitae
- Tailored Curriculum Vitae
- Tailored Cover Letter
- Executive Summary
- LinkedIn Profile
- Application Form
- Target Letter
Let’s discuss each one in turn briefly and how they are all different, to help you use them according to your needs and preferences and ultimately to secure a general interview or a competency-based interview in a role and organisation of your choice.
General Curriculum Vitae
A General Curriculum Vitae is primarily used when working with recruitment agencies, where the document covers all of your experience relevant to the various types of jobs you want
Tailored Curriculum Vitae
A Tailored Curriculum Vitae is where you tailor your Curriculum Vitae against a live, open job that you wish to apply for, where you use specific words and statements from the job description and the organisation’s website.
Tailored Cover Letter
A Tailored Cover Letter is where you tailor a Cover Letter against a live, open job that you wish to apply for, where you use specific words and statements from the job description and the organisation’s website.
Executive Summary
This a one full page document summarising your Curriculum Vitae, normally used for people applying for high level managerial / directorship roles.
LinkedIn Profile
www.linkedin.com is like having your Curriculum Vitae On-Line, where you set up a profile and transfer relevant general information from your Curriculum Vitae. You would also include your LinkedIn Profile link on your Curriculum Vitae.
Application Form
Many public sector organisations are requiring the completion of Competency-based Application Forms, rather than Curriculum Vitae’s when they advertise new opportunities. They require you to give examples to certain and specific on-the-job competencies.
Target Letter
This letter is used when you want to find the unadvertised jobs and it is where you target organisations that you want to work in and write a personal / posted letter to decision-makers, not HR.