CV & Cover Letter Review...Only For People Who Seriously Want a Winning Resume

Hi Peeps,

I was at Carl's Junior at Mid Valley the other day talking to a friend who was leaving her present company. And that's how we got talking about CVs (resumes) and how important it is to keep them updated and to have them written "as a sales and marketing" piece -- to make it really "sell" you.

I'm no trained HR expert but Words Wizards has done about 20 personalised cover letters and resumes since 2006. I don't really want to brag or make promises or guarantees. But EVERY ONE of our clients secured a job within 1 month except for one who took three months (that was because he was shifting industry and relocating to Singapore).

I also wrote lots of career oriented articles for a Singapore magazine, called Career Central (the only Malaysian contributor on the Singaporean team). I don't do it anymore as we began strategising the business towards advertising and marketing work and I wanted to focus on new areas. It was time to move from magazine writing.

Following are some links of my Career Central writing days:

http://community.jobscentral.com.sg/taxonomy/term/66
http://community.jobscentral.com.sg/taxonomy/term/110
http://www.youth.sg/content/category/104/91/

Anyway, we still get so many requests for this service, but we only choose to work with a select few as we want people who are serious (know what they want, where they want to go in their career and really appreciate the professional, personalised crafting of their resume).

Back to the topic...

Now, we're not talking about fabricating stuff in your CV; what we call, "puffing up the resume". What I mean is actually beefing it up and making it standout as an individual piece of work to sell that individual to employers. We're looking at sitting down with you, chatting with you on your career goals, what kind of industry do you want to be in, your qualifications, experiences and skills, your personality, etc and then putting it all together so you have a winning CV that gives you an edge from the competition.

And I think you know competition. In today's job market and economy, your resume is competing with piles of others. So what are you going to do about it?

Anyway...after speaking to my friend, I realised that Words Wizards can help lots of people (perhaps you if you want to take up this offer).

For two mornings, we're providing a FREE review of your CV. We'll look at it, give you some ideas (which is unique to you) to make it much better. Be prepared for a barrage of questions as we give you a whole 45 minutes to a hour dedicated to you and your resume.

More so like if you need to spruce up your resume as you really, really need to apply for a job like in 2-3 days time. Then you should be talking to us. If the need is urgent, this could make the difference between no answer and calls for interviews.

This is FREE, non-obligatory and you don't have to get us to actually enhance the CV for you. There is no charge as we share the insights with you.

The Catch? (You were expecting one so I'm going to give it to you).

Spaces are limited. so is my time. I will only be doing this for two Saturday mornings. So I can probably only take about 5 people per session.

Those interested, please respond to me via my facebook group, drop me a message, post a comment up here or just email me at josh@wordswizards.com. You can also email my colleague: marina@wordswizards.com.


In the meantime, just to give you an idea of what will happen when you see us, here are some things to consider when next doing up your resume. And these are not the usual general tips you can download from the Internet (i.e. make sure the resume is neat, no typos, have all your skills inside, etc).

I am talking about stuff like:

1. Does your resume sell the personal brand which is you? Does it somehow have a unique voice (this is normally achieved when you include a customised cover letter
which can make a world of difference)?

2. What key points do you want to sell most in relation to the industry or position you're applying for? Your experience or qualifications?

3. How can use personal quotes and mottos in the CV to add a personalised difference and to show the value you bring to the organisation?

4. What questions you can answer in your resume that you'll probably have to answer if you were called for an interview?

Just think about this for now and when we meet, we'll discuss them further for your benefit.

Cheers!

Josh

PS:

How Thinking Like A Salesman (or woman) Can Improve Any Part of Your life. Read This :-)

The other day, as I was chatting with some friends at a local cafe at the Curve, a thought occurred to me as I saw all the people walking about. Young and old, trendy and stylish, simple or conservative, confident or looking pensive...i realised something very, very important that most of us tend to forget about.

And then it really dawned on me. I mean realised it before, but at this point, it really hit home and I knew I had to share with you guys.

Sales and marketing is not an activity we do at certain times of the day or our lives. It's not just a job. It's not something you can compartmentalise and pocket into a certain part of your life.

Now before we go any further, please take a moment to clear your mind, get relaxed and then consider very carefully what I'm about to say:

OK, here goes...

At anytime, anyplace and anywhere, we are all selling or marketing something. Whether you like it or not, as long as you're alive and kicking, you're a salesperson.

If you're in the public eye...you're actually marketing yourself based on the image you're projecting -- the clothes you wear, your facial expression, the way and pace you walk. You're actually selling an image.

If you're on a hot date, you're selling yourself (not in that way) but you're looking to convince the other party to buy into the proposition of you -- the package of you. He/she is going to leave the table (with you or without you) based on how well you manage the sale. Or whether there would be hot date Part 2.

If you're talking to someone, just a casual conversation, you're selling your opinions, your confidence, your ability to converse, etc. People are going to "buy" impressions of you based on what you say.

Even when you're just walking down the supermarket or sitting down at a mamak stall...you're in the public eye and that means you're "selling" again.

And in complete honesty, you're judging me based on how well I write this blog. :-)

And the list goes on and on.

Have you considered all these different ways and times that you're indirectly engaged in sales and marketing? if you do, good for you. Cos if you're aware, then you're probably also taking steps to always project the best or correct image for yourself in those many occasions of indirect sales and marketing.

If you don't, then consider how many business contacts, social opportunities and job offers you could have potentially lost. Consider then how you can turn things around.

Sales and marketing is not just a subset of our lives and something we do at interviews or at jobs (if you're a salesperson for your company).

It is our lives in a very big way.

How do you capitalise on this? In my next posting, I'll share some ideas on how you can capitalise on this free medium of indirect marketing and advertising.

Cheers, peeps. Have a good week ahead.

PS: Continuing a little from last week's post, socialising also means attending different kinds of events. Like the photo of the one below -- yes you guessed right. It's a rock party! Up the irons! :-)




And...........










PPS: Some of the ads we have done for a client in developing an international image for them as we help them go regional. It's fun to do this kinda work and judging from the response of the market and from our client, it's working. :-)







Josh
Words Wizards