shakespeare

Ok, don't take that literally....

Here's a few tips on writting your CV and cover letter, and a quick note on interview questions. Hope it helps a few people.

Shakes

(thanks to Dan Sommers for the CPO article)

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How To Write Your Close Protection Resume

Submitting your CV should be considered part of your employment interview and thus be treated with the same level of professionalism and preparation. First of all there are a common misunderstanding that a resume and a CV is the same thing, it is not! CV stands for Curriculum Vitae, which is Latin and means "Life history". A CV is most commonly used in higher positions within the corporate and intellectual environment.

The Resume
What is most commonly used in the Close Protection world is a Resume. A “Resume" is a really a brief introduction to your full CV. Thus in your resume you include the vital points from your CV in a short and simple manner. As the resume is a short version of your CV it should preferably be one to two pages long.

Getting started
If you are using Microsoft Word as your editor then save yourself time on the layout, by simply opening Word. In the "File" tap choose "New", from the "right panel" options choose "General Templates" and from the Templates menu choose "Other Documents", then open "Elegant Resume" or "Professional Resume" based on your personal preference. I prefer the elegant version, but that's just me.

The template you have opened will give you a general layout of what information should go where etc. However, when it comes to writing your details then the template cannot provide you with more than a generic description; this is where you need to be creative. Having a resume that merely looks good isn’t going to cut it, you need a resume that will be opened and read.
Don't be lazy and just quick type your resume into the email message, there is nothing more annoying for the receiver, than having to copy and paste the information into a Word document before it can be saved. Ask yourself why should someone else do your work for you? And then ask yourself, if you think that will help you get a contract? I am sure it won't! Most résumé’s that have been written directly into the email message gets lost in the inbox somewhere or are simply deleted.

Your Cover Letter
It always amazes me that so many applicants send their resume, with the subject line flatly saying “My CV or Resume”, and the email itself often contains no text but simply has an attached CV or Resume. How well prepared is that? The first thought a receiver will have of the person, who emailed this message will likely be something like this; “if you are that lazy when it comes to writing and delivering your resume, your work ethics is most likely just as lazy…”. After that thought they are very likely to simply press the delete button!

A CPO, who is sending out his CV or Resume, is actually asking strangers in HR positions, to either hire him or find him a Close Protection contract. But he does not even have the courtesy to say thank you, or please, or even introduce himself first. He is so full of arrogance that he feels everyone he sends it to, should be overly joyful that he has shown them mere humans, the honour of applying for a position with their company. Well no matter what is in that resume, it is not going to place him on top of any HR managers lists for anything; it is simply going for the deleted items bin… and I am know that I am not the only one who does that!

Therefore you need to write a cover letter, which goes with your resume that introduces you and your reasons for sending your resume. The cover letter is the key that unlocks the door for you and give the receiver a little knowledge about you, before he either deletes your message, or opens and read your resume. To not just unlock the door, but also open it, requires that your cover letter makes the receive wants to read your attached resume!

The AIDCA Approach
The AIDCA approach has been used in advertising and marketing for decades and it is still being used because it works. Your resume is your advertising brochure, aimed at selling your personal services to a CP employer; you need to approach your job applications as if it was a marketing campaign, which it is! Because, if you want to compete for the few contracts that are available for outsiders; you need to “sell” yourself and your experience and skills better than all the other applicants.

AIDCA stands for:
• Attention
• Interest
• Desire
• Conviction
• Action

Attention: is what your email subject line should create. Many persons base their decision, on whether to open and read an email or ignore it, simply on what is in the subject line. So make sure it is short, direct and most of all informative.

Writing "My CV" is definitely short and direct, but it is definitely not informative and worse it is just plain rude. "Experienced & sia Licensed CPO at Your Service" is short, direct and yet informative and much more likely to catch the attention of the receiver. Think about it, next time you compose the subject line before sending your resume by email.

Your Cover Letter, whether it is in printed form or an email message, should also use the "Attention" factor in its first "heading" and the first full paragraph. The first paragraph should ideally consist of 2-3 or max 4 lines, and basically further "bind" the reader’s attention, so that he will be compelled to read your resume and do it with a positive attitude.

So your first "heading" and paragraph have to be well composed and follow this simple and proved guideline:
• Communicate the offer - what is your purpose of the communicating and what you are offering.
• Highlight your best aspects - what are your best qualities and what makes you the ideal candidate for the job.
• Engage the reader – what do you know that is of direct relevance to the position or company you are applying with.
When your head line and opening paragraph accomplishes to deliver all three points, then the Human Resource department or receiver will open and read your resume! So put some real work into it, after all it is your economic future and security career that you are securing by adding a little extra work to your resume.
Your resume (or curriculum vitae), combined with the cover letter, are the master keys to opening the prospective employer's mind and the company door; so that you can proceed to the next step in the process - the job interview!

Interest: this is the first "body" section of your resume, and this is the second most important part. You have to make sure it that the first two parts stimulates the interest of the reader, so that he will continue to read the rest of your CV. That means that in the interest part, you should describe your last employment relevant actions such as; a recent job function, related military background, police background of relevance, specific security operations or special training you have completed etc.
Desire: this is the third part of your resume and should describe your complete employment history in order of relevance. Always place the most relevant position first, then follow with a chronological list of your all other employment records. Always start the chronological section with the most recent position first and then backwards through time.

If your history of employment includes positions of little relevance to what you are applying for, then simply state the position, date and company/employer, do not describe what you did if it is not relevant. For all prior job positions that are of relevance, you should describe what responsibilities you had and the positive effect your involvement had. This is where you have to take some honour upon yourself, whether you like it or not. A resume is not the right place to display humbleness; unless of course you are applying to be a priest!

Basically the desire part should make the reader think positively about having you and your skills in their company and how they would benefit from that; you need to make them desire to have you working for them!

Conviction: this is the part where you include your references, your written recommendations, your accomplishments and any merits and medals you have received. Provide full contact details for at least two people, who hold positions of relevance and are ready to vouch for you, and recommend you to the new employer. Make sure the referee, is a person that would himself hire you again if needs be. There is a standard “coy” question all human resource managers ask… “Well that sounds fine, so you would be happy to have him work for you again tomorrow?” “Eeeh… well no because we did not get along that well and his work ethics are different than mine eeeehhh so…” And that is all the HR manager needs to dump your application in the waste bin. Make sure you only provide the referees that were happy with your performance!

When reading this part of your resume, the reader should feel confident that everything you have stated so far is correct, and that you are indeed a competent and highly trustworthy individual, whom the reader would be lucky to employ before someone else gets you.

Action: the final part of your resume, this is where you should include an "action trigger" that will compel the reader to contact you for a conversation or to schedule an interview. Therefore this part has to be specific about when you will be available and how to best contact you. A lot of CPO's who sends out their resume, only place their contact details at the top; which is a good place to have it, but you have to repeat the contact details again in this part and with a prompt, to contact you today.

One way to get the reader to take action and contact you are to include a specific date and time, which you are planning a visit with them for an interview. "As you have seen in my resume then I have the necessary skills and experience that your company needs and would therefore like to present myself for a proper employment interview. I will be in your area/city on Wednesday next week and will call on you at 10 am, if that suits your schedule."

With a direct and timed call like that, the reader will have to get back to you, even if he does not want to or are not capable of meeting you at that time. This response gives you an extra opportunity, for communicating with the reader. Just make sure that you are ready and able to keep the appointment yourself!
Now print this message and read it again; then sit down and rewrite your resume using the basic guideline included in this message and then go and apply with those companies that have not employed you yet. Don't be concerned about sending your resume to the same company again; just include in the description line that this is your updated resume. Send it every three to four months, and within a year they will remember your name even if they have not had any positions for you yet. Being known and remembered is a key to getting employed. In many sectors of the private security industry it is not “What you know but who you know, that gets you a job”. So get known by repeated communications, but don’t stalk them!

My last resume advice is these ten points, which are wise to remember when writing your resume.
1. Keep it focused and businesslike
2. More than two pages is to much for a resume
3. Check the grammar and try to get the punctuations right, always remember to spell check and have someone read it over for you
4. Keep the resume relevant to the specific company or position
5. Make sure it looks good and reads well, have "white" space in it, that mean empty space and not a page that is filled from edge to edge.
6. Make sure you describe what you can do today, not only past skills but also what you are presently learning
7. Be honest; self advertising is good, but exaggerations are not
8. Follow any specific instructions if required by the company you are applying to, for both the format and content
9. Make sure your resume is received, specify the receiver and follow up with further emails or even better a phone call
10. Use a cover letter and keep it short and focused on catching the attention of the reader


Four Steps A Recruiter Takes To Trash CVs and Resumes
Having 200-300 CVs or resumes to analyse, a tight schedule, and probably working late, an employer's or recruiting manager's approach is to scan the huge pile quickly and look for any little reason to trash your CV or resume. Learn how to avoid your CV or resume being trashed and how to almost guarantee that it gets noticed and shortlisted.

The scenario described above of a recruiting manager or employer is fairly typical. With hundreds of CVs or resumes, little time, and the pressure of identifying the best person for the job, the strategy a recruiter takes is to first eliminate all those who show any little sign of being worthy of elimination. And the basis of that is your CV and resume, highlighting the great importance attached to this one or two page document.

So what happens when the pile of 300 CVs and resumes are put in front of the recruitment manager? Well there are three main steps, which are taken to filter the pile. Filtering is needed to choose appropriate candidates for the interview stage. So those not worthy of being interviewed have their CVs or resumes trashed. Let’s take a look at them one by one.

The first stage: The 5-10 second glance
The recruitment manager is not going to spend minutes going through each CV or resume to find what he is looking for. Rather, his first step is to spend at the most 10 seconds to take a quick glance at mainly the first page and the following page(s) if the first page interests him. So the process of elimination begins with the following:

* Any CV or resume which is longer than 4 pages will be trashed. This is generally the case, unless the employer requires a detailed career history. But most CVs are no longer than three pages, and as for resumes they should be shorter. So the recruitment manager will not be bothered reading anything over 4 pages.

* Any CV or resume that does not have a profile, or objective or similar paragraph and an easy discernible list of skills on the front page will get trashed. The recruitment manager does not want to start scanning your CV or resume to see if he can find where your skills and achievements are, or what you are qualified to do. You are supposed to present that to the recruitment manager using your career marketing tool, the CV or resume.

* Any CV or resume which is written in long sentences and lengthy paragraphs and where a quick glance does not allow the identification of relevant information, such as skills and achievements will get trashed. The recruitment manager is not there to read essays or novels.

* Any CV or resume which is annoying. This is mainly due to bad formatting. Things such as using many different fonts and font sizes, cluttering the information with little white space, making it harder to read. Also the use of excessive underlining, bold and italics, in combination. All of these matters make the CV or resume difficult to read and follow and annoys the recruitment manager.

By now the recruitment manager has gladly trashed 70% of all the pile and is left with around 80-90 CVs or resumes. Happy with the time he has saved, he or she can now spend a little more quality time scanning what remains.

The second stage: 10-15 second glance at the first page
At this point, the recruitment manager is looking for what is specifically relevant. This requires a match between the skills required for the job and the skills and achievements presented by you. So without really looking at your or CV or resume in too much detail, he simply wants to identify what have you got to offer and does it match his or her organisation’s requirements. He or she will be looking to identify this on the first page and without having to try hard to locate this information. The match could be general or it could be specific. But because the recruitment manager is only interested in a general match, spending a relatively small amount of time (10-15 seconds) in gauging this, he will include CVs or resumes at this stage which will still be filtered later. By now there around 40 CVs or resumes that remain, about half from the first stage of filtering.
The third stage: Short listing for the interview stage
Here the recruitment manager spends a little more time, and picks out those CVs and resumes that have a specific match, or a very close match to the job requirements, and these are considered potential candidates. Here, the method of the recruitment manager has changed from elimination of irrelevant CVs and resumes to picking out highly relevant and quality matches. So after this stage, about two-thirds of the remaining pile will be discarded and we have around 15 CVs or resumes that remain.

The fourth stage: Picking candidates from the short list
It is only at this point that the recruitment manager will now look in more detail and go beyond the first page of the CV or resume to pick candidates from the short list. There are a number of factors that the recruitment manager will be focusing upon:
* Is the candidate’s latest work experience related to the job being offered
* What type of companies has the candidate worked for
* What achievements has the candidate demonstrated from previous jobs
* What non-technical and job-specific skills does the candidate possess

After looking at these factors, the final interview list will be prepared which can be less than 5 candidates. So, have you got a CV or resume that will survive these four steps? The reality of the recruitment process shows that you need a targeted and focused CV or resume that not only grabs attention by showing a skills match, but is also crafted, worded and formatted to give you an edge over other candidates.

shakespeare

Cover Letter No No's
This is the very first thing the employer reads before your CV - so, it is important this stands out and that you create a good first impression! Make sure you follow these straight forward important points when writing your cover letter...

DO NOT..
..have a weak opening, e.g. "please consider me for this role". Instead you must grab the readers attention straight away and intrigue them to read on. For example, "I am applying to the job ref xxx and your need for this event organisers role would match my excellent 5 years experience in the industry".

DO NOT..
..use 'I' too much. People get fed up reading I, I, I - it seems like you are self-centred and it should not focus on your life story but the role you are applying to and how you would fit it perfectly.

DO NOT..
..make it too short. You need to have enough information in the cover letter in order to pull out the most important selling points - include your skills and experiences that relate to the job.

DO NOT..
..make it too long. You do not want to waffle and bore the reader. Keep it too the point, punchy and short and focus on the most important factors relevant to the job.

DO NOT..
..regurgitate your CV as the recruiter will hopefully read this AFTER they have read your cover letter. The cover letter is to pull out the most relevant and attractive points about yourself and why you are the most suitable candidate for the job.

DO NOT..
..mass generate. It is extremely important to customise your cover letter to each company. Recruiters will spot these mass produced letters straight away and it will most probably go in the bin. You can use a template keeping the introduction similar and the content structure the same but make sure you tailor the letter to the company.

DO NOT..
..end the letter abruptly. Tell them you will follow up with a phone call or tell them when you are available for an interview. Provide your contact details so that they can contact you if they wish. Thank them for their time in reading the letter and be polite. Do not forget to sign the letter politely.


Is Your Resume Too Cluttered?
The most common mistake among many jobseekers is not updating their resume in the correct way. All too frequently, those in search of a new job pull out their most recent resume and simply add details of their latest position.
This easy to fall into habit makes for a very long and boring read for hiring managers. If you don’t edit or delete obsolete information, your resume can very easily become cluttered and long-winded. Here are a few tips that will help keep your potential employer awake and interested while evaluating your qualifications and experiences.

Determine your goals and keep your resume relevant.
Not enough job seekers stay focused on what they really want from a position or even what position they want for that matter. By determining ahead of time what your job goal is, you will be able to maintain focus. Consequently writing your resume around your goal will be easier. If you have more than one focus, make sure to create multiple resumes for each one.

Focus on your accomplishments versus your duties.
Show a potential employer how you made a difference in the past, not just what you were required to do for the job. Place your skills in a short summarized section. By summing them up you give yourself something to discuss during an interview. Point out your accomplishments and quantify exceptional events. If you keep your accomplishments general, it can easily go unnoticed.

Ditch the self-centered, general objective statement.
Employers don’t care what you are looking for. They want to read what you can do for them. Get their attention immediately and stay focused on the employer instead of you. For example, here is the objective statement from a reader who recently sent in a resume to be reviewed.

“Highly qualified professional with over 10 years of significant experience seeking a position with an innovative organization.” What does that mean? Qualified in what? What does he/she consider innovative?

This objective statement could be rewritten to answer all of those questions and keep the focus on the employer. “Customer centered professional offering more than 10 years of experience in a fast-paced environment seeking a management position in the security industry.” See the difference?

Customize your resume for every position.
It’s career suicide to have only one generic resume that you send to every job opportunity. Each time you apply for a job, recreate your resume to fit that position, just like you do your cover letter.
The most important thing to remember when creating your resume is to think like the employer. With each and every resume you send out, make sure you address what you have done in the past, how it benefits your potential employer, and how you are you able to put those things into action and duplicate your past successes.

Resume - On the Fast Track

"I'll start looking for a new job as soon as I get my resume together." Sound familiar? And then, days and weeks pass with no progress on either - resume or job hunting. Don't put off looking for a new job just because you don't have the "perfect" resume. It doesn't have to be painful or time consuming.

Make it simple. Don't get intimidated or overwhelmed by the process of putting a resume together. Your resume is essentially a one-page summary of your employment history, nothing fancy needed. By breaking it down into sections, you can take each piece one step at a time and you'll be prepared to search for, find and apply to the "perfect job."

First, you must understand what your resume is going to do for you. It is an introduction, a way to present your skills and how they relate to the position. Your resume creates interest and, hopefully, gains you an interview where you can further discuss your abilities.

The most basic resume, and quickest to produce, is one that is in chronological order - list of employment in reverse order of most recent to least recent. After each record of employment, include two or three bullet points of responsibilities and accomplishments in the position.

Begin with your contact information, followed by career summary or objective, work history and then your education/training - in that order. If you find it necessary, you may include any volunteer history, awards and recognitions you find relevant. This is also a good place to list your willingness to relocate if appropriate but remember to keep it short.

Section 1: Contact information.
Your name, mailing address, phone numbers and email address are all very important. Make sure there are no errors as this is the only way the employer has to contact you. The email address listed should be professional and not a reference to your religious, political or any other personal belief or extra curricular activity. Another option is to set up a new account specifically for your job hunt - Yahoo, Google and MSN all offer free email accounts.

Section 2: Career summary/objective.
Simple one or two sentence statement about what you are looking to obtain in your career.

Section 3: Work history and education/training.
List company name, location and dates of employment followed by two to three statements about the skills, experiences and responsibilities for each position.

Section 4: Education and training.
Document the name of the training school, location and date of completion or attendance. List any other types of training, certifications or relevant courses you may have taken.
Now that you have the information down, you can continue to add and enhance your resume. You know the purpose of your resume is to showcase your abilities and to make you stand out in a crowd. Developed in a chronological order, developing your resume will be simple and take no time. Just remember to consider your past experiences, specific duties, what you are good at and the things others count on you to do.
Done! Now you can move to the next step of finding a new job.


Interview Questions - Things to Think About Before the Interview

Whether you are preparing to interview, preparing to be interviewed, or just interested in conducting a quick self-analysis, the following topics tips will help you develop a perspective.

PREPARATION
If you are preparing to conduct an interview, begin with a clear definition of the roles and responsibilities for the position. Create a list of requirements, objectives and priorities associated with the position and use this as a guide to create specific questions for the TOPICS below.

If you are preparing to be interviewed, research the job description and the company profile thoroughly. This information can frequently be found on the company web site. Develop a list of potential responses and also create your own questions to ask about the position role and responsibilities as associated with the TOPICS listed below.

Even if you are not prepared to conduct an interview, or to be interviewed, you can review your current career roles and responsibilities to reflect on the following TOPICS.

TOPICS

What have you learned from your previous success?
Can you identify significant achievements that highlight your talents, skills and capabilities? How can this knowledge and experience be leveraged to develop future success?

What have you learned from your mistakes?
Can you identify decisions or circumstances that you might change if given another opportunity? How can this knowledge be applied to mitigate future risks?

What have you learned from your experiences and industry knowledge?
Can you identify personal experience and perspectives that make you unique? How can unique experience or industry position be used as a strategic advantage?

What have you learned from other people?
Can you identify skills or knowledge that you have acquired from other experts, peers or mentors? How willing and able are you to learn from the expertise of others?

What have you taught other people?
Can you identify specific skills, motivation or direction that you have shared for a positive influence to others? How do you contribute to the community and improve your environment? How willing are you to share your knowledge?

REFLECTIONS
Every individual is a unique blend of talent, skills and experiences. Character traits can be acquired or learned over the course of our childhood, education and careers. These character traits can contribute to success, reduce risk and be used to enhance the environment around us.

In some cases conflicts may arise as a result of different character traits. For example, one person may have experience shaped by previous achievements or errors that have not been experienced by another, creating significantly different perspectives. In some cases the disparity may be related to work habits or personality traits that were learned as child and not easily changed or influenced in the work environment. These conflicts can be mitigated with a better understanding of the experience that shapes another's perspective. During the interview process it is the obligation of the interviewer and the individual being interviewed to determine how well the personal experience, knowledge and character match between the person and the position. This increases the potential for future success.
If you reviewed the questions as a personal assessment, it can be a meaningful review to reflect on your contributions, motivation and impact on your environment. As a unique blend of talent, skills and experience, you have the opportunity to share something of yourself with those around you. In return, you have an amazing opportunity to continually develop your personal knowledge by learning from the unique experiences of those around you. What you do with these opportunities will shape your character and your potential for the future.
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Regards

Shakes

AndyE

Very informative post,lots of good points to take on board.That should be a lesson its self within a CP course?

beastie

shakes, this i have found to be very useful. thanks very much buddy

DarkHorse

Mate,

Another good post... well done

DH

kenpsd

Shakes....respect mate!!....Absolutely stunning!!