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event-icon Personal Excellence Programme

New Decade New Opportunities – is it time to update your CV?

event date January 18, 2020 event timing 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Michael Page, 4th Floor, 4 Brindley Place, B1 2LG, Birmingham Members: FREE Non-Members: £10

Event overview

This event will give you all the guidance you need to ensure you are showcasing your skills and ensure that your CV is the one that stands out from the crowd.

Bookings are closed for this event.

By Nix Bahchu

Well, this event title certainly pulled me in as I’m on my new year, new me wave right now. Self-improvement, resetting and refocusing on what’s important and letting go of things that are not so important right now is priority for me and somewhere in this mind-set I’ve decided that I’m open to new opportunities. I want to be proactive and on the ball should an opportunity arise and not (like I have done in the past, I’m sure we all have) have an outdated CV and application to ping off and pray that I get an interview by way of a miracle.

 

The workshop was generously hosted by Louise O’Donohue, Paul Hancock and Raj Baden from Michael Page, in their swanky office, Brindleyplace, Birmingham.

 

An interesting and useful insight into the current financial market was given and the good news is that the financial market is currently buoyant with Brexit worries eased following the general election in December 2019. Brexit has even been downgraded from the number one risk to number three. As we know, with change comes opportunity so a great time to get ahead with organising your CV.

 

The CV
We went through some great hints and tips during the session:

 

• Give yourself time. Take a couple of weeks and complete a brain dump of everything you do and leave it for a few days before you revisit it and start to edit it
• Clear, consistent layout (there are loads of templates online to choose)
• Obvious one, spell check. Actually don’t just spell check, e.g. for and four are spelled correctly but have different meanings so actually read, reed and read again. Get a peer, relative, friend, mentor, coach involved. A fresh pair of eyes is priceless.
• Tailor your CV to the role that you are applying for. Do your research about the role you’re interested in so you can tailor it accordingly.
• Be careful with what contact details you’re putting out there on your CV. Don’t overshare but at the same time, ensure that you are easily reachable with the contact details on there.
• References – just put ‘on request’
• If you’ve worked hard and earned some letters after your name… ADD them
• Ensure your LinkedIn matches your CV – recruiters do check.
• Talking of LinkedIn, ensure your profile picture is appropriate.
• Be social media savvy, ensure your profiles on sites like Instagram and Facebook are private and be careful what you like and repost
• Add any pro bono work you have done (charity/volunteering)
• Add relevant training or workshops/events you have attended
• Someone said looking for a job is a full time job within itself, so, back to the first point, give yourself time, don’t rush

The discussions happening in the workshop were fantastic, it was natural networking at its finest. Everyone sharing ideas, experiences and exchanging contact details. There was a real supportive atmosphere which is an actual embodiment of WIBF values. Roll on the next world class event right here in Birmingham which is the Growth Mindset Conference on 8th February. The new decade is off to a positive, proactive start indeed.

 

*bullet point 3 is on purpose for those who noticed!