[BizCareers] Dealing with a glass ceiling and a curriculum mess

I would like some advice on how to make my CV stand out from the rest? How do I do this? - Jeremy

Hi Jeremy,

Your CV is probably one of the most important documents you'll ever write, the only thing is you'll probably write it over and over again, always tweaking, adding, improving and moulding. The hard and fast rules are that it 1) has to be easy to read 2) has to contain contact information and 3) has to have all the gaps filled in.

You can start your CV with a cover page explaining your strengths and skills and how they relate to the position applied for. The next page can be your personal information e.g. email, phone number, link to your LinkedIn profile, area you live in, car and license etc. You will then have your education details, make sure to detail where you studied and what year you completed. Don't include any tertiary education if you didn't complete it, as this is unfortunately irrelevant.

The next few pages should detail your employment history, be sure to include the name of the company, your position, the dates you worked there and the reason you left. You can then detail in bullet point your responsibilities. It is of utmost importance to ensure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors on your CV. Try to use a professional font such as Calibri or Arial and perhaps include a few recommendations you have received from previous employers or LinkedIn contacts.

Take a look at this useful article to give you a more indepth layout.

By doing the above alone you will stand out from the 100s of unprofessional, badly written and incoherent CVs that are out there and surely make your mark.

I hope this helps you secure your dream job.

Should I stay or should I be on my way?

I've been in the same position for the last five years and there just seems no opportunity for promotion. Is it time to leave or should I stay and hope that a position becomes available? - Refiloe

Dear Refiloe,

Thank you for your question.

Five years is a very solid amount of time to have worked at one company, so if you did decide to leave it really wouldn't be a bad thing. However, if you love your company, the environment and the actual job that you do, you feel challenged, motivated and rewarded for your work then there really doesn't seem to be a reason for you to leave other than a change.

I'm sure if there was room for promotion you would have been promoted by now. Perhaps have a meeting with your manager and ask them how you could move up to the next level, what goals you need to achieve and what KPI's you need to meet in order to be considered for a promotion. Perhaps they have overlooked you as they think you are happy and comfortable in your current role and don't want to move. It is of utmost importance to be honest and voice your interest in being promoted. Once your manager knows this they may pay closer attention to you when it comes to promotions and consider you for something new.

Take initiative and speak to the relevant parties about what you want, otherwise someone else will get the next promotion.
If you try all this and there really is no room for growth then yes, perhaps it is time to consider moving. These are the right reasons to make a move and you have a solid track record behind your name so there really could be a great opportunity out there for you.

Good luck!

Always love what you do!
Juliette

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