7 Ways to Improve OneCV… FTW!

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The following is a critique of a personal brand written for the purpose of highlighting possibilities for improvement.

You know, you really don’t understand the extent of your learning’s till you encounter a situation when alarm bells start going off in your head and you can’t help but point out the obvious. The obvious, in this case, is generally achieved when your experiential knowledge starts to transition towards good foresight and strong analytical skills.

A few moments earlier, I saw a tweet for OneCV from one of my followers and naturally started to pursue. Those wanting more information about the project can visit the website but the cliff-notes version goes as such. Andreja Pejic has challenged himself to applying for 1000 jobs in 100 days in what seems like a guerilla job hunt. Andreja’s aim is to use one single CV and get the attention of hiring managers in New Zealand, USA, Canada, Australia or “someone in Europe”. While “hire me” sites have been an innovative tactic used by some job hunters to the ends of successfully securing a job, this one in particular calls to question some serious issues; one’s that need highlighting as a form of constructive criticism.

Before I begin let me first state the intent of this post to Andreja and all others who are reading this. This is an exercise in putting my insight to use and providing constructive criticism and solutions where possible. I consider it only fair to warn those reading ahead, including Andreja, that solutions for improvement don’t always necessarily go hand-in-hand with stroking egos. The aim here, like Andreja’s site, is to better position him to land the job of his dreams. While there may be some points I might miss out on I am sure there are those out there reading who can fill in the blanks in reference to their own experiences. Please feel free to share.

A little context before we begin, one that will put my point of view in better focus. I graduated in end-2007 with a bachelors degree in architecture but found my creative calling more drawn towards PR & Marketing and unless you’ve been milking goats in the Appalachians for the last decade you can imagine the kind of journey that might have been courtesy of the gaping hole in time and space we like to refer to as the recession. The journey wasn’t indeed easy but what made me feel like I progressed a little each day was not just the passion I had but also my thirst for knowledge. I’d be hitting up career and personal branding blogs to better align myself with the expectations of today’s recruiters. J.T. O’Donnell’s blog over at Careerealism & Dan Schawbel’s Personal Branding Blog are two I have come to swear by mainly because of the relevancy and diversity of their content amongst countless others. I make it a point to weed through my social networks and see what people are talking about… if for no other reason, then perhaps just to keep myself informed and up-to-date with the latest happenings. With time, I have not only gained critical insight and understanding into my own field but have also managed to become a huge fan of brand marketing.

Here’s where those learning’s come into play in the case of OneCV:

1) One size NEVER fits all!

When you’re out shopping for clothes, do you go for your own size or buy a whole bunch of smaller sizes in the hopes of losing weight one day and fitting into them? If you’re picking the latter and never end up losing the weight you’re stuck with a bad investment that could only be made worse by you parading around in tight and uncomfortable clothing. It’s not a pretty sight and in that last example you can as easily be the shopper as you could, the purchased clothing. If it’s not a fit then what’s the point?

Tailor your CV to meet the requirements of the employer, their market and the person they wish to hire to fill those boots. Not doing so only calls into question the commitment you’re willing to offer their organization from the get-go! Oh, and explanations towards the contrary (like the one in the screenshot below from your site) don’t exactly further your cause. This “piece of paper” opens the communications gateway between you and your employer to connect further so give it the level of respect it deserves.

2) Be Specific

Simply put, global employers are looking for relevancy. There’s a huge pool of “qualified” applicants out there in the job hunt just like you. What makes you stand out, get noticed and hired is how you strongly you leverage your credentials as an effective sales pitch of your personal brand. Company operations vary not just with reference to their industry but also to the markets that they cater to. Have you identified the potential needs your employer might have for business growth? If so how well can you portray yourself as the individual that has the solutions that the employer may be able to utilize towards business development?

I cannot stress enough the importance of a good cover letter to help put your skill set into clearer context for the potential employers’ requirements. In your specific case you have to ask yourself what reason you’re providing an employer to not just hire you, but also to bear the multiple costs of your relocation half way across the world. Should you choose to change your mind, here are 5 steps to writing a good one.

3) Who am I hiring?

While being a good citizen, visionary and family man are important traits in any human being, professional expectations and requirements go much further. Your employer is seeking to hire a marketing professional with a certain background, not a dad with aspirations of moving half way across the world. I’m sorry if this comes off as harsh but someone in marketing should ideally be marketing themselves off in a manner that exudes a certain level of weathered experience and professional success. When given the opportunity to be specific, especially in the absence of a cover letter, your “about me” section doesn’t do any justice to the abilities and innovation that I’m sure your professional arsenal consists of.

4) Mind your language…

Considering half of the markets you wish to aspire to migrate to are primarily English speaking markets I would pay extreme caution to the number of grammatical errors on your site. My advice, have a friend proofread before you upload and finalize content. Your social experiment’s website is your potential employers first insight into your personal brand and in a world where everyone is busy being busy, your first impression needs to be impeccable enough to open more doors than you would have it close. This might not seem like a big blip on your radar but it may just prove to be the proverbial straw that breaks your brand camels back. Strong communication skills and the impressions they create are highly regarded abilities in the requirements for marketers worldwide, let’s make sure you check that off on your employer’s check-list of abilities.

5) Innovation through Insight

Brand your blog with your idea’s, innovations and aspirations. Use existing content and align it with possible solutions that you may have in mind for further improvements. Your blog, should you choose to actively keep and maintain one, is a potential employer’s insight into your world. Highlight your critical thinking by providing solutions that are relevant and not those that are based on assumptions. This will not only help highlight your problem-solving skills but it will also showcase your ability to research and provide credible data that helps steer marketing initiatives for an organization in the right direction.

Tell stories! People love stories and they’re a great way to effectively communicate your achievements!

6) Pace yourself for more achievable goals…

1000 CV’s in 100 days means you’re sending out 10 CV’s a day. Given the points that we’ve already discussed it seems imperative by now to make your marketable references more convincing and tailored to their targets. If you’re writing a cover letter for each applied position with an average of 30-45 minutes drafting each correspondence that’s 10 hours a day that are easily consumed. Keep in mind that this time does NOT include time spent on research that has gone into finding more about your potential employer and their organization. Do you see where I’m headed with this? If each cycle used to research your employer’s organization and draft up an appropriate correspondence letter is not made with the sincerity that is required for the effort then you’re wasting valuable time and resources, not to mention getting your hopes up high. If your aim is to establish an offbeat world record and not actually land a job then you’re on the right path. If otherwise, scale down the expectations you put in place for yourself to make them more achievable. Expectations, when unmet, can bring down your game plan like a house of cards. Quality over quantity!

7) Think outside the box

Your website alone will not be your only marketing channel. Stay true to your marketing roots and be innovative and varied in your approach. Use LinkedIn to source references for potential jobs you wish to apply to, they’re among one of the best resources that increase your chances of landing a job. Source out the best industry blogs in career counseling and recruitment, read what they have to say and absorb their insights into your own marketing initiatives to make them better with every step. Get out there and start networking with people face-to-face. The possibilities that you create from a situation like this can be limitless. Don’t settle for the mundane..

Ultimately, as much as we try to differentiate ourselves from our competition, there are certain tried and tested techniques that have a significantly higher rate of success. Bundled with a will to succeed and more relevant to your own individual stories, these methods can act as a catalyst to ensuring that your initiatives are more rewarding when executed. If you’ve got ideas on how Andreja and others like him can make their job hunts more successful please share your thoughts and resources in the comments.