Managing Gaps or Weaknesses in Your CV
Common Problems People Face with Their CV
For some people, a CV presents awkward problems. In an ideal scenario, your CV will paint a glittering picture of someone with a distinguished career in the target position, with a proven record of accomplishments and upward trajectory that will convince a prospective employer that they are capable and a low risk candidate for the job. Naturally, HR staff screening CVs and the actual hiring manager want to know they are making the right decision and can justify their choice to their line managers as well as ensure they have the best staff to deliver their own performance objectives.
However, in reality, life is not often this kind. Most of us will go through periods where a job did not work out, where we needed to take time off for medical or family reasons, where we were fired or made redundant, or where we changed jobs quite often. The list goes on. Managing these "red flags" as far as prospective employers go is a real art, as lying is not an option you can afford to take if you want to maintain integrity and protect yourself from potential problems later on.
Addressing these Deficiencies in your CV
There is no one solution for these problems, rather a range of solutions that depends upon the nature of the issue and how you coped with it at the time. For example, sometimes a medical issue that caused you to miss work can be used to demonstrate your intrinsic values or courage in the face of adversity. Or, if you changed jobs frequently in a short period, you may need to draw attention away from the positions held and more on the skills used, leaving the detailed explanation for your job changing to an interview. The key is to make what you have done so compelling that they want to see you in spite of the apparent weaknesses - these they will check out once they meet you.
How Platinum will Help with your CV
We will interview you to understand your experience in some detail to determine the best CV format and content to focus the attention of the prospective employer on your strengths. Using a mixture of different CV structures, headings, description and omission, you can help an employer take a chance on your potential and be more prepared to understand and excuse the "red flags".