It's the busiest time in the recruitment market, particularly for sales professionals. Most companies within the technology market already have a strong idea of how they are going to generate revenue this year and have their hiring plans to facilitate this. Meanwhile, those of you dreading to return to work after the Christmas break are taking your first steps to finding a new role. The market is booming.
So, I thought I would offer some CV oriented advice to those looking to take the leap this year. Drafting a CV may seem like a menial task, but I consistently see great salespeople with CVs that don’t reflect their ability, which will often lead to you falling short at the first hurdle.
Your CV should have one, solitary purpose: Getting you through the door for a conversation by dangling enough of the carrot.
Now whether you’re a 20+ year sales veteran or 1st jobber, the best way to do this, is to:
KEEP IT SIMPLE, KEEP IT RELEVANT
Businesses (and recruiters) will only look for important details. The rest will be skim read or disregarded entirely, a savage truth unfortunately.
It’s therefore vital you make the highlights easy to digest by not surrounding it with waffle or irrelevant information.
Put yourself in their shoes, what would you want to know about a salesperson?
These are the three things that will go through their head in a matter of seconds:
Are you any good?
Is your current client base relevant or transferable?
Is your product experience relevant or transferable?
I can guarantee, as soon as they see a strong sales figure, relevant clients and product experience, you’ll go straight on the yes pile, so put yourself at an advantage!
Now you have the right information, there are key ways you can make yourself stand out through the structure, without needing to get fancy.
Keep the Format Consistent
Use Buzz Words and Use them Often
Park your Creativity – Focus on Information
Check your Grammar and Spelling…then double check it…then get someone else to check it
I’ve attached an example below that’s been tailored from the best CV’s I see on a daily basis, I’d recommend playing with the structure to suit your own style.
Of course, this is subjective, and there may be more in your current role that is worth highlighting, however this format consistently sees the best response rate with our clients.
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