• Common faults with CVs

    Almost everyone I have spoken to with experience of recruitment has described with a sneer the really appalling CVs they have received. These people can generally do no better, believe me because I’ve seen their own efforts—but there is some truth to the rumours and it is the case that …read more

    Source: CV Masterclass

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  • Top CV writing tips

    Areas covered in this article:

    1. The mechanics of producing a decent CV
    2. The thought process behind a good CV

    I want to simplify the subject by keeping away from jargon and concentrating on what a CV is actually for.

    When I started writing CVs for a living we were just moving from the age …read more

    Source: CV Masterclass

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  • CV types and styles

    Areas covered in this article:

    1. What MUST appear in your CV
    2. All the various design options

    I shall concentrate here on bringing common sense and my huge experience of writing over 4000 CVs to cut through all the myths surrounding what a CV should be.

    Over the last 10 years people have become confused …read more

    Source: CV Masterclass

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  • networking winner

    The 5th level of competence

    I was talking to a Sales consultant recently, and he was asking me about my special skills. It’s a conversation I have had before, when I was exploring the skills of a friend or colleague. Now the boot was on the other foot.

    At some point I said, “I don’t know what I know.”

    I explained that I could articulate the subject matter of my training courses, as I have done on my website and in promotional literature or ads promoting specific courses, but that would not really explain my special skills. It’s a common problem, and one that you must have encountered yourself.

    Think about situations when you have been training or helping someone to solve a problem within your area of expertise. Under pressure, you come out with insights that derive from a deep understanding of your subject–wisdom that you’d find hard to explain or call to mind out of context.

    You could call that the fifth level of competence. It’s what distinguishes the true expert from the specialist.

    The other four levels are well known:
    1. unconscious incompetence, when the person is unaware of a deficiency in knowledge or skill
    2. conscious incompetence, when the person realises that deficiency, perhaps when trying to apply it
    3. conscious competence, when the person can apply the skill at will, recognising the level of competence and noticing how it improves with practice
    4. unconscious competence, when the skill or competence becomes automatic and second nature, like driving a car

    Some people progress further. Their knowledge of their subject moves to a higher level, so that they understand the principles underlying it, and can enable others to cope with any problems within it. Unconscious competence is about being able to carry out the skills themselves. The fifth level is about becoming expert and developing ‘wisdom’.

    Think about medical consultants, or lawyers who can find unexpected interpretations of the law. They, too, would find it hard to tell you what they know, but it’s much more than the stuff you’ll find in text books.

    When it comes to communication in business—speaking, leadership, presentations, sales letters and such like, I don’t know what I know. But I know I’m at the fifth level of competence.

    Phillip

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  • PKP and Kanchenjunga

    Why I lost my watch at Dublin airport

    I was early getting to Dublin airport. After the Bag Drop, we strolled over to the Departure Gate and scanned our Boarding Passes, declined the offers of clear plastic bags for liquids and toothpaste and joined one of the funnels for Airport Security. That’s the fancy name for the process …read more

    Source: Phillip KP WordPress.com

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  • handshake

    Can you rely on your High Street bank?

    Imagine you were a 65-year old pensioner and sole trader, banking with a High Street bank which claimed to be the best one for small businesses like yours. One day you decide to take charge of your accounting because your previous helper has retired. You notice a couple of regular …read more

    Source: Phillip KP WordPress.com

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  • handshake

    And what do you do?

    In this age of Networking, there are many versions of how a person should introduce themselves.

    Some Networking groups (Breakfast meetings, typically) start with a round robin, with everyone given between 60 and 120 seconds to make what they call their “Elevator Pitch.”

    This is fundamentally flawed thinking for two …read more

    Source: PKP Communicators WordPress.com

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