6 Figure Career Management

Last weekend I went to a barbeque in North London and met up with a number of my oldest friends.

As is often the case with many social events I go to, I got into a conversation with a friend about his plans to change jobs (occupational hazard or opportunity, depending on how you view it).

He was telling me about his plans when I heard those magic words:

“Oh, I just need to re-do my CV (resume) next weekend and then I will start looking properly”

At which point, I stopped him and said: “Yes, but you’ve been saying that for months!”

Which was true, he had been talking about it for almost a year I think. He knew it too and acknowledged it with a smile.

To be fair to him, he is no different to many people in his situation.

‘Updating and changing the CV” is very often the hurdle people have to get over before they get serious about their job search.

It’s one of the key activity that holds people back from making a job move – no matter how badly they want to move. But if you are really committed then here are 2 ways to get over this hurdle:

1. Create a reason to get it done

You need to create some levers to get yourself to take action. Here a couple of thoughts;-

a) Identify a vacancy that excites the hell out of you and so inspires you to get you to take action. Regardless of how successful your application is - you have tricked yourself into getting the CV done. 

 b) Alternatively call a recruiter or head hunter to ‘catch up’ and promise to send them your CV. Again it will be a catalyst to help you get it done - this time by making a public declaration that you will get it done. When you make an external committment such as this , it’s much harder not to deliver on it.
 
2. Outsource it to a professional CV / resume writer

If you haven’t the time, know-how or inclination to update the CV / resume, then don’t waste the time and mental energy stressing about it. Get a professional CV / resume writer to get it done.

Yes there is a cost involved - but you should view it as an investment not a cost.  As I mentioned in the post last week on lifestyle investing – ‘time’ is now the new currency. The simple act of outsourcing the creation of your CV is a value added activity that makes you richer in time.

Also in the current market – there are more people in the banking sector chasing fewer jobs – so you need to stand out and be different.  A professionally produced CV helps you get clear about your personal brand and  separates you from the pack.

And of course getting into a new role with a pay rise will immeditately offset the investment in getting a CV done. It’s a no brainer.

In the end I told my friend to stop wasting time and just call The Fuller CV  - the largest professional CV writing firm in the UK. I have worked with Fuller as an Associate Consultant and indeed have been a customer - so am familar with their quality approach.

All their consultants are experts in their respected industries so he would have an expert from the financial services sector produce his CV rather than a generalist.

If my friend from the BBQ chooses to follow my advice, then within a week, he will have a CV and accelerate his job search with more clarity and confidence.

That’s ‘if’ he decides - you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink….