Is your CV a Sales Brochure or User Guide ?

The objective of a CV is to get you through the door for an interview. In order for this to happen your CV needs to impress the recipient.

You can compare your CV to a product or sales brochure whereby the aim is to ensure the purchaser understands what the product does and how it will benefit them. Most product brochures and leaflets use feature/benefit statements which are short and succinct. If the purchaser needs more information this will invariably be given in a user guide, not in the sales brochure.

To put into context further, you should consider your CV as your sales brochure whereby you sell your features/benefits with the sole aim of securing an interview. During the interview stage you will be asked to explain more about yourself, this is your ‘user guide’ opportunity – it’s important not to get the two mixed up.

Please do not treat your CV as your user guide, inserting everything about yourself and thus extending it beyond two pages. With so much to take in the recipient is unlikely to read and digest everything and you might therefore have missed a real opportunity to get the job you want.

Remember, the analogy of the sales brochure and user guide. Your CV is your sales brochure – short and sharp aimed at ‘wowing’ the recipient to take the first step and give you an interview. At the interview, you can bring out your ‘user guide’ and tell them everything about you.

Good luck