A careers expert has spent five years creating the perfect CV - and not only does it promise to land you a six-figure job, it also claims to be "personality-proof". Photos / Supplied, LinkedIn
A careers expert has spent five years creating the perfect CV - and not only does it promise to land you a six-figure job, it also claims to be "personality-proof". Photos / Supplied, LinkedIn
A careers expert has spent five years creating the perfect CV – and not only does it promise to land you a six-figure job, but it also claims to be "personality-proof".
Rita Chowdhry, the founder of UK-based career consultancy firm Savran, has designed the one-page, 450-word document that can be tweaked by anyone, regardless of the industry you work in.
She told news.com.au it was "irresistible" to recruiters and bosses – and a "golden ticket" for job seekers or those seeking a promotion.
She shared some general advice, such as to never include a photo or date of birth, to keep the CV to one page or a maximum of two if you are in a senior position, to list your work history in chronological order and to impress recruiters by referring to their company's values in at least one of your career achievements.
She also recommended giving at least one example of how you are motivated, and how you have and will motivate others, and mentioning two activities that demonstrate your personal values, such as charity work.
"Use positive language throughout that indicates a 'can-do' attitude and 'achiever's mindset'," she said.
Rita Chowdhry claims to have hacked every personality type. Photo / LinkedIn
"And my recommendation is that 75 per cent of your statement should be evidence-based."
An example of evidence-based information could be: "Exceeded sales and profit goals by up to 8 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively, from the first year of managing" or "Hired and trained 35 staff and reduced staff turnover by 5 per cent in one year".
Chowdhry urged jobseekers to avoid "sweeping statements and not backing them up with evidence" and said the specific words "passionate and motivated" should also be banned from your resume.
PERSONALITY HACKS
But the key reason Chowdhry's CV stands out from the crowd is that it uses subtle techniques designed to make it "personality proof" by appealing to each of the four main personality types according to the "DISC" psychometric category system.
Under the system, Dominant personality types are active and task-focused, Influencers are active and people-focused, steady is passive and people-focused and Compliant is passive and task-focused.
"To impress D personalities – typically managing directors (MDs) and chief executive officers (CEOs) – and Cs, such as chief financial officers (CFOs), use clear headings and bulleted sections, written in a simple, consistent font such as Arial or Times New Roman 11 or 12," Chowdhry said.
"This makes it easy to comprehend for Ds, who tend to skim read, while also including the structure and consistency that Cs look for.
"Keep sentences short and concise, and give proof supporting your career achievements. This appeals to D and I types who want facts and statistics and S and Cs who are put off by excessive self-promotion."
Chowdhry said in her experience, most CEOs and MDs would have D trait as their primary or secondary trait.
Rita Chowdhry claims to have created the "perfect CV". Photo / Supplied
"They are very fast-paced thinkers and will want to skim read. They will lose interest if too much information is given – so be brief and get to the point. They are very results-driven so will look for results like impact on the bottom line," she explained.
Meanwhile, "I" traits are associated with "inspirers and motivators" and people who like working through others in careers such as sales, marketing and teaching.
"They too are fast-paced thinkers so a structured, clear layout with signposted information appeals to them. Recognition is important to them so they will be impressed with awards and how they are supporting and encouraging others," Ms Chowdhry said.
She said people with S traits were "steady, supportive team players".
"They are very people-focused and they like to see evidence of working with people and acting in the interest of others. This is what most of the population are so, therefore, it is essential to consider these," she said.
Finally, Cs have "high attention to detail and are task-driven and methodical".
"The layout is key – consistency and accuracy is important. Too many font changes … and not evidence will put them off," Ms Chowdhry said.
Another strength of Chowdhry's document is that it can be slightly tweaked depending on your industry.
For example, if you work in finance, she recommended showing evidence of being "very process driven with attention to detail", while those in marketing should "show creative skills to make the design of your CV stand out".
And no matter what field you're in, it always pays to "look at the company values and evidence how they are aligned to yours".
