Writing a compelling personal profile

Most people are aware that to get ahead in life, particularly in terms of career advancement, there is a need to write a compelling personal profile that can be used to promote oneself when the opportunity arises. However, all too often this objective is not achieved and there are a number of reasons for this failure

The purpose of a profile

Perhaps the most important problem many people have with writing a compelling profile can be defined as errors in the initial approach to the profile. Most people will sit down with a blank sheet of paper in front of them and ask the question - "what can I tell the reader about me?" In fact the correct approach is to reverse this question. What you really need to be asking yourself at this stage is "What does the reader want to know about me?"

To react positively to this question what you need to be looking at is the reason for writing the profile in the first place. For example, is it for a new position of employment, to assist in seeking promotion in your current place of work or for some other purpose? The approach that you take to the two former options, being career related will, by definition, be different to the third.

The content

For a work related profile, whilst the prospective employer might want to receive some idea of your personal interests and educational career, particular in terms of exams and qualifications, these should not overpower the profile. By this what is meant is that the profile does not need to contain a long documentary of what hobbies and interests you may have. It is important to keep this section, which should always be the last section on the profile, short, succinct and to the point. However, if any of these points are salient to the position that you are applying for they should be highlighted. For example, if you have an interest in caring for animals or children and are applying for a role in the veterinary or childcare professions it is essential to mention your interests in this regard, albeit briefly.

Concerning the work experience aspect of the profile it is important to include accurate details of your work history. This should include a description of your role and what skills it required or had been learnt; details of your responsibilities, including those that entailed leading or managing other staff members and contact details of your past employer for reference purposes. If this is an application for your first position of employment then include within this section details of any work experience you might have undertaken that will stand you in good stead for the role being offered.

Other factors

In addition to the above aspect of writing a compelling profile there are a number of other factors that need to be considered. Firstly, particularly for a job application, it is essential that the profile is brief and to succinct. The last thing you want is for a busy human resource manager, who might have dozens of applicants for the advertised position, to say is "I have not got time to read all this" and cast your application aside because the profile element of it is too time consuming. Similarly, first impressions count. Therefore, it is important to ensure that your personal profile is presented in a manner that is professional, pleasing to the eye, easy to read and free from grammatical and spelling errors. Secondly, it is essential to present a positive image of yourself, so make sure your successes are the focus of the profile. Thirdly, be truthful. Lies will be found out! Also important is not to scrimp on cost by trying to squeeze your profile into an undersized envelope. It is better to bear the extra cost of an A4 or letter sized envelope so that when the profile is removed it is still in pristine condition.

And finally

Finally, before presenting a sample of how the sections of a compelling profile should be presented, it is important to mention that, even if your profile is not intended for employment purpose, for example it might be an application for membership of a specialist club; most of the above advice is still relevant. The only difference is that this will concentrate more upon your personal achievements and interests, with work skills only being relevant if they relate to the association where membership is being applied for or a specific position within that association.

Sample layout for a compelling profile

First section - Personal and contact details, with house and mobile phonr number and photograph if possible

Second section - Work history - last position first, highlighting your main duties and responsibilities

Third section - Work skills and qualifications
Fourth section - Personal interests and achievements

Tips in Posting Your Resume in the Internet

Although some sites provide a way to block certain organizations from viewing your resume, these systems are not foolproof.There is no fail-safe way to protect the confidentiality of your employment record after you store it online. You can do things to protect yourself.

Posting on commercial websites.

Most commercial recruitment Web sites provide detailed instructions for submitting a resume. In most cases, the instructions are very similar to the procedures for responding to a job posting. The instructions on the Web site may direct you to cut and paste your resume into an online application form or to send your resume to a designated e-mail address.

After you complete the steps for posting a resume at the commercial Web site, wait 48 hours and then search the database to see if you can find your resume. If you locate your resume, review it carefully to see if any errors occurred in transmission or processing. If you need to make corrections, follow the procedures that most sites provide for doing so.

If you cannot locate your resume, contact the site using the e-mail address provided for assistance and questions. In your message, provide your name as it appears on your resume, the date it was sent to the site, and the name of your e-mail service provider. In most cases, Web site managers quickly resolve such situations.

Protecting your privacy.

Sending your resume over the Internet to an employer’s designated e-mail address is a personal and private communication. The employer is not likely to share that with anyone outside the organization. Storing your resume in an online resume database, on the other hand, puts that document and the information it contains into the public domain. Your resume is open and available to anyone with access to the database, and in the case of most commercial employment sites that is any individual or organization paying the access fee — including your current employer.

Although some sites provide a way to block certain organizations from viewing your resume, these systems are not foolproof. After your resume resides in such a database, there is a high probability that other sites may copy it and reproduce in their databases. As a result, there is no fail-safe way to protect the confidentiality of your employment record after you store it online. It is also difficult to prevent an outdated version of your resume from circulating on the Internet forever.

You can do two things to protect yourself: Always date your Internet resume so that employers can quickly determine if they are reviewing a current or older version of your employment information. Remove your home address and telephone number from your resume and replace it with an e-mailbox that you use only for employment matters. Check this box frequently, so that you can respond quickly to employer inquiries. An Internet resume is, without question, an unusual looking document. Despite its appearance, it is a useful document that can help you take advantage of the Internet’s resources for finding a new or better job and managing your career.

How to improve a simple CV

Having worked through a series of cycles of recruitment within the retail sector, there are some key things to look out for when writing a CV. If you follow these simple tips it may help your chances of being noticed.

Keep it simple.

The number one rule, one that is sometimes forgotten, is to keep your CV simple. There is nothing worse when reading through hundreds of CV's to find one that is not easy on the eyes. Here is a list of ultimate no no's.

- Always use white paper.
- Use a professional font.
-Check formatting - make sure you use the same font and size throughout.
- Spelling and Grammar! Always check, there is no excuse when you have spellchecker!
- Do not add pictures, in the majority of cases it is unnecessary.
- Shy away from long paragraphs, keep it punchy.
- Be Honest, it takes only takes a second in an interview to eek out any untruths.

To Begin

When writing a CV, always look online first and see what the industry standard is for your sector. In most cases they are simple and only need basic information, it all depends on the job you are applying for. If it is a simple retail job then all you will need is two pages at the most.

Think of a good opening line in your personal statement at the top! Something individual will grab the readers attention far better than the standard:

"I work well in a team and competently on my own"

While this may be true, it certainly will not stand out. This is the most over-used phrase that I have found in CV's. Make it personal, the potential employer is looking for personality as well as competency.

Content

The content that you put throughout the CV is imperative to give the interviewer an overview of the person you are. There is a very good chance that the interviewer will have read over your CV before the interview. Here is an example of a simple layout that will give your CV a simple but effective flow.

- Personal Information (name, address, contact details)
- Personal Statement. (A short punchy paragraph)
- Educational Information. (GCSE, BTEC, A Levels, Degree)
- Work Experience. (Your most recent first)
- Competencies. (If you have any other training i.e. first aid/specific training)
- Personal Interests. (This will give the interviewer an insight into your life outside of work)
- References.

This should all fit neatly into two pages. If you make it much longer then it will be more of a chore for the interviewer to read.

First impressions

I'm not saying that by following these rules that you are guaranteed to get the first job you apply for, your CV is merely a snapshot of who you are. It does however help if you have a clean, concise, interesting CV that will jump out at the employer.

Always reflect what you have put in your CV. If you say that you are confident, be confident (but not cocky) Your CV acts as your first impression in most cases, if you have written a bad CV it does not give a good first impression.

When you have written your CV, always read it back. You will be surprised how many mistakes can occur without the spellcheck picking up on, that is to say, do not trust spell checker implicitly.

Lastly, try not to stress. A CV is a starting point, you can always elaborate on the information that you have put in your CV.