A good Curriculum Vitae is about substance, not only form
It is substance that counts in resumè Quite apart from all of this, a resumè is not just a more or less well-written piece of paper; it’s a way of presenting to the world what we know and can offer to the market.
This is why it must be designed in the most suitable way to hit its target.
Let me give you an example I came across recently. A young man that was “slightly” on the NEET side (Not in Employment, Education and Training), was due to have an interview with a company I had put him in touch with, and produced a video CV for the occasion.
Jacopo had some strong points on his sides:
The company, which operated in the local area, was innovative and a good fit for him
He had a contact within the company, as I had put him in touch with a young ex-colleague of mine who was now working in the company’s HR department
He was meant to produce his video presentation with his smartphone, something that any young person can do today
He had the support of a coach.
It should have been easy, right?
Well, guess what, Jacopo managed to mess it up!
As the Germans would say, “He didn’t do his homework!”
During the interview, Jacopo went through the many little working experiences he had had without trying to link them in a coherent story; he wasn’t focused; he didn’t know whether he wanted the job or not; he wasn’t sure the position was “enough” for him…
He wasn’t even humble enough to get himself back in the game…
Getting back in the game doesn’t simply mean accepting a job that’s below your expectations and qualifications…. It also means rolling up your sleeves and working hard, especially on oneself; it means being prepared to learn and accepting unbiased feedbacks.
First impressions count, but you have to be able to live up to them over time!
If Jacopo had done a better job of assessing and presenting his own skills, the story would have been different, believe me!
