Targeted CV

The Performance (or Target C.V.)

A performance C.V. is a mix of the chronological-functional format and it incorporates a powerful up-front section which is designed to attract the reader's attention. It combines achievements into functional areas and places upfront your greatest achievements in relation to the position you are targeting.

Advantages:

• It immediately highlights your strengths
• It is extremely flexible
• You can adapt the C.V. to the job you are going for without sacrificing quality
• It permits you to describe yourself in marketing terms.

Disadvantages:

• It takes know-how.

A good performance C.V. has the following:

• Name and address
  
• Telephone number (with dialling code) and perhaps an office number or message number.
  
• An opening statement that gives a summary of your overall professional capabilities.
  
• Three to five major achievements
  
• A statement that describes the way you like to work and what kind of person you are.
  
• Employment history in reverse chronological order
  
• Company
  
• Dates of employment
  
• Your title(s) Date(s)
  
• Achievements and/or Responsibilities
  
• Prior experience (if relevant)
  
• Education (if relevant)
  
• School(s)
  
• Further Education
  
• Degree(s), certificate(s), date(s)
  
• Affiliation(s) only if they contribute directly to your search

The Performance C.V. continued

Plus the 20 second C.V.

Decision-makers when confronted with a C.V. will rarely give it more than a cursory 20-second glance. It has been rumoured (Sunday Times 2001) that personnel people give each C.V. on average an 8 second scan. One reason is that they are pretty boring to read and the other possibility is that the reader's attention span is only 20 seconds or less. You will agree that this is not long especially if you are giving the reader two or more pages!