Positioning your CV to emphasise your worth rather than your age

From time to time we hear the word ‘ageism’. This can come from within organisations or through the media. Fortunately, I haven’t heard it a lot recently and I am hoping that it is something that is diminishing. Mature workers have so much experience to offer employers!

Connected to this, is applying for a new role in later life and in this context, many mature workers find that they are not reaching the short list for interviews. This doesn’t have to be so!

Emphasise strengths

Strategically, there are a number of things that we can do when we review our CV, to position ourselves well, emphasising our experience, achievements, and skills rather than our age.

Firstly, a key aspect is to position ourselves well on the front page of our CV and not disclose our age. This includes several things:

Write an opening paragraph that for example, highlights the relevant experience you have to offer, those areas you particularly enjoy in a role, and what drives you. In other words rather than say what you want, talk about your experience. This provides the reader with a good overview.
The next very important aspect to have on your CV, and in fact one that many people leave out, is a list of your skills and alongside each one, a brief (one-two lines each) about your specific approach with each skill. The importance of this can’t be over emphasised as employers are looking to see if you have a match of skills with those they are looking for.
If you have qualifications, list them on the front page, but don’t add when you completed them because that gives your age away.
An optional extra on the front page, could be a section, no more than four to five bullet points, entitled Career highlights. These highlights should draw attention to aspects you have experience/success in that are directly related to the role you are applying for.

All of the above, will make you stand out and position you well, thus encouraging the reader of your CV to want to turn the page and find out more about you.

Downplay age

Secondly, for the remainder of your CV:

List your current and previous employment history to show the last 15-20 years and include the dates.
For the remainder of your employment history, head this area up with the heading Prior to (for example) 2002 and list relevant roles, without dates beside them.

With this approach you will see that nowhere when the reader goes through your CV, will they be able to calculate your age. This can enable mature workers to have a greater opportunity to get onto the short list. And with this opportunity, then be able to get in front of an interview panel to demonstrate their capability and enthusiasm for the role. Obviously, the next step is up to you to convince the panel that you are the right person for the role, but at least with this approach you have this opportunity.

For further information contact Cynthia by email here

Career outplacement guide

If you are affected by recent redundancies, this can be a very difficult time. To assist you in this we have designed the following questions, you may want to ask yourself or seek advice to assist you in moving forward:

Career assessment

Are you able to identify your key strengths, drivers and interest areas?

Are you able to articulate your achievements relevant to the position you are looking for?

Are you able to describe where and why you want to work in a particular role?

Are you able to describe what industry/sector you would like to work in?

Are you able to identify organisations that you would like to work in and why?

Curriculum Vitae

Does your CV contain your strengths separately listed?

Does your CV contain a good positioning statement?

Does the front page of your CV invite/motivate the reader to turn the page?

Have you listed achievements for each of your major roles?

Would a strength-based CV promote you better than a chronological or vice versa?

Does your CV show an overall theme that is consistent with the role you want?

Approaching the Market

Can you clearly articulate your job /role interests to a recruitment consultant?

Do you know how to best work with a recruitment consultant?

Are you confident in writing the covering letter?

Have you got a marketing plan for your job search?

Are you using all of the potential market opportunity sources?

Networking

Do you know how to effectively operate in the “hidden market”?

Do you have a list of network contacts that can work for you?

Are you aware of the questions to ask in a network conversation?

Do you know how to expand your network contact?

Interview

Can you positively and effectively promote yourself?

Are you effectively able to answer the question “tell me about yourself”?

Do you know how to answer behavioural questions succinctly?

Are you able to articulate what makes you unique/the value you can add?

Do you know how to best maximise your opportunity to provide key information?

Financial

Can you accurately identify what your income & expenses, & assets & liabilities are?

Are your finances set up to meet short and long term threats to your financial security?

Do you have clear financial and lifestyle goals, and are you able to achieve these?

Do you want to discuss financial implications with an independent financial guidance consultant?

Retirement

Have you thought about how you will spend your time in retirement?

Have you talked with your partner or family about your wants and needs?

Do you know your partner’s expectations?

Do you have clear financial goals that match your expectations?

If you need help in any of these areas

Contact Cynthia Munro, Cynthia@c2consulting.co.nz or 0274 865 065

Retirement Planning tips

By Cynthia Munro and Craig Wylie

Increasing life expectancy means that we will potentially be spending the equivalent of half (or more) of our working lives in retirement. This is a significant portion of our lives, therefore we should be planning how we will meaningfully spend the time, as well as planning our finances to meet our desired lifestyle in retirement.

Lifestyle Planning

Here are questions for you to consider when preparing for your new lifestyle:

What are my concerns; what will I miss when I leave the workforce?
What provides meaning and purpose for me and what does this translate to in the future?
What will change with my spouse/partner, family and friends?
What interests provide meaning and fulfillment?
Will I want to continue working in a different capacity – what might this look like?
What type of activity might provide satisfaction and meaningfulness?
What new learning might I like to pursue – e.g. a hobby, intellectual pursuit or an interest?
How do I ensure optimum physical and emotional health and well-being?
What do I need to think about in relation to my location; how will this impact me and significant others?
How will my social life differ and what do I need to do to remain connected?
How will I seamlessly transition? What is my action plan?

Financial Planning

Having financial strategies and structure to facilitate the achievement of financial and lifestyle goals in retirement is vital to a happy and successful retirement. Here are some questions to consider:

Do I understand my present financial position and timelines?
Assets/liabilities; income/expenses; time frames pre & post retirement?
What could impact on my financial security before and during retirement?
My financial and lifestyle goals and objectives
What lifestyle would I like/what lifestyle can I afford – what will it cost?
What financial/lifestyle goals do I need to meet before retirement – cost?
How do I get from here to there?
Cash Management and savings:
- Am I making the most of my current income?
- What do I need to do differently?
Investments:
- What keeps me awake at night when thinking about my finances?
- Do I understand risks and returns of different investment/KiwiSaver options?
Financial Plan:
- Do I need to engage an Authorised Financial Adviser? Do I require a referral to a trusted AFA?
- Can I prepare my own plan using resources available (e.g.Sorted website) and/or with guidance?

Further information can be found here

Interview tips

By Cynthia Munro

The job interview is a mutual exchange of information between you and the prospective employer. Unfortunately, a number of us find interviews a little daunting for a range of reasons. One thing you can control in this situation is to prepare well. This helps with your confidence on the day.

Some tips:

Always ask for a position description so you can comprehensively identify how you fulfil the competencies listed and the desired factors
To demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the role, prepare, prepare, prepare!!
Provide more in-depth information about yourself that is not in your curriculum vitae

When asked, “why did you apply for this role,” in addition to talking about your interest, your ability and experience, add to this and say why you would like to work for the organisation
Identify substantive answers that can demonstrate and testify to the skills you have
When answering behavioural questions, be concise – I suggest thinking, then answering in bullet points using STAR or CAR so ensure your answer is concise
With the question, “tell me about yourself,” instead of reiterating your work history, or rambling because you don’t how to answer, say something like, “I will tell you 3 things”. g. “what drives me”, “what I like about my current role” (being positive), “my interests are……”

Think about key questions to ask the interviewers that demonstrate your interest and suitability for the role e.g. “What does success look like after 6 months in the role”? “How would you describe the organisation’s culture”?
If you are asked about salary expectations, ensure you have thought about this and offered a range as your answer rather than a definitive figure
Always obtain feedback later to evaluate what went well and what could have gone better

Some questions to ask yourself

Are you able to articulate your value proposition – the value you can add?

Has your past preparation been enough? If not, what do you need to do more of this time?
Are you able to convey your interest in the role strongly enough?
Have you completed enough research on the organisation?
Is there someone there that you could talk to about the organisation?

Further information can be found here

CV tips

By Cynthia Munro

Having your CV ready for potential opportunities is useful at anytime and given these uncertain times during Covid-19, being prepared, is a good thing to do. When it is an employers’ market – as opposed to an employee’s market – employers can be swamped with applications, so you need to ensure that your CV stands out.

Here are 4 tips and questions to get your CV prepared.

Ensure the contents of your front page encourages the reader to turn the page.

Contact details need only to contain your phone numbers, email address, and possibly your LinkedIn address
If you write a personal profile/positioning, make it punchy. Instead of, “I am a friendly and outgoing person ……”, try something like “5 years experience in ………. Particularly skilled/enjoy ……………”
Have a section outlining your skills. This enables the reader to quickly identify quickly what you have to offer. Order these skills according to the role you are applying for
If you have qualifications, add the important ones to the front page

Where you list your employment history, put the dates on the right-hand side – this then allows the reader to clearly focus on your role title and the organisation you worked for.

If you decide to have an interest section, elaborate on these e.g. Music – currently learning the guitar; Walking – enjoy the outdoors and a chance to exercise
We no longer need to add the names of referees, just add “Referees available on request”

Some questions to ask yourself

Have I listed achievements for each of my major roles?
Would a functional (strength-based) CV promote me better than a chronological (employment history based) CV or vice versa?
Does my CV show an overall theme that is consistent with the role I want?

Further information can be found here

Virtual Grandparenting during Covid-19

For those young parents with young children working from home, trying also to entertain them whilst working can be a very hard juggle. In my own family, my daughter – Mel, who lives in Adelaide, has a role that involves various meetings and deadlines during any one day. Her husband is an essential worker, so she is often the parent to Felix, a 5-year-old, whilst working full-time.

By Cynthia Munro

In this time of Covid-19 there are many families in this situation, and it can be particularly hard when there is only one parent. I decided that perhaps there was a way that I could help out, 3227 kms away. It was a success, so I would like to share this, as there may be many grandparents and grandchildren who would benefit from the opportunity, not to mention the break that the parents would have to allow them to get on with their work.

Mel and I discussed a structure for Felix for the day, which involved in general some school zoom activities, some educational programmes on the iPad, some exercise in the form of walking, some further learning apps and then free time. Where I came in initially on this timetable was “Granny C time” for 30 minutes. This took a little bit of practical and creative thought and preparation. For the first session, I came up with 4-5 different activities and prior to the session communicated to Mel the resources that Felix would need for each session, like pen, paper, Sellotape, glue, card, ice block sticks, pipe cleaners. Fortunately, he had these. Each morning I would let Mel know which resources to lay out for him on the table.

He then Face Timed me at the exact time, and the session would begin. The session would always involve colouring in (the page for this I sent through each morning) and I would colour the same drawing and then we would look at each other’s drawing; this was followed by me reading him a book and he would look at the pictures (I flipped the screen for this), we would then do another activity using the pipe cleaners (or similar) and again we would show each other what we had made. Doing each of the activities at the same time seemed to be really important. Lastly, each day I would make up sentences on the whiteboard (could use a screen or sheet of paper) and he would read them to me, thus enhancing his reading ability.

This went from 30-minute session to 60-minute sessions and the time went by so fast for both of us. Feedback from Mel was that he was thoroughly engaged for the whole time.

For me this experience was many fold – it was a break from my own work, it was the opportunity to connect with Felix, it was a chance to experience something different and it gave Mel back some precious time she needed for her work.

Virtual grandparenting, I discovered is possible, enjoyable and rewarding for all. Try it, or get your parents to give it a go.

Career Development for 55+ age group*

We deliver our following Career Development services via workshops and/or coaching sessions, both in person or via electronic media:

Identify your next step

Are you aged 55+, and feel that you have a range of needs, issues or frustrations? Do you feel that you are winding down, maybe lost some motivation, or maybe feel a little threatened by potential loss of your role and then what? Or are you someone who would like to look at other internal or external alternatives but are unsure what and unsure how to position yourself. Or maybe you might be considering a less stressful role or even thinking about phasing to four days a week?

Our sessions explore the issues and challenges you might face and provide strategies and tools from a career perspective that identify the uniqueness of your skills, experience and achievements that you have to offer and explore a variety of work options. We also provide strategies for writing a CV that highlights these elements and strategies that will provide you with confidence in an interview.

Content includes:

Strengths – those skills you are competent in and enjoy using
Values – what motivates and fulfills you at work and in general
Interests – areas that act as key motivators and ensure career enjoyment balance
Achievements – key success factors
Ideal role – if you could choose, what would your ideal role look like
Sector/industry interest – areas of particular interest
Satisfaction – areas of current and former job satisfaction
Development –skill gaps and needs and how will these be solved
Education and learning needs – identify maintain on-going learning
Work life balance – balancing work and private life to conserve energy
Career options – internal and external options based on themes
Career management –managing your on-going career effectively and proactively
CV positioning

* Can include those aged 50+

There will be a small amount of pre work to complete.

Presenter: Cynthia Munro

Cynthia is an executive coach, consultant and presenter. She has had 20+ years working with government agencies, corporates, not-for-profits and individual clients. She is highly experienced in working with individuals and teams who are seeking guidance with their careers and other life changes including retirement planning and change. She has expertise and sensitivity in understanding the needs of people and identifying strategies and tools to assist them. Cynthia holds a BA, a Graduate Diploma in Adult and Tertiary Education and an Advanced Diploma in Business (Management). She is accredited in a range of well-known assessment tools.

More information about Cynthia: https://www.c2consulting.co.nz/about-us/cynthia-munro/

Further information about us in general: https://www.c2consulting.co.nz/about-us/

Career Development Workshop

Identify your next career step

Thinking about your career/ your role and potential next step? This can be an exciting experience if you are clear on your future direction. However, it can be daunting or challenging if you are not sure about your direction or the options available. If this is you, unlocking your potential will enable you to be happier, more successful and more fulfilled in your present or future role.

In this workshop, we will provide a structure and a process to assist you to identify your career goals. We will do this by working through a range of exercises and key factors which will assist you to identify emerging themes. You will consider what this means to you in terms of current or past role(s), development needs and opportunities, preferred environment, and your ultimate career aspiration.

Content includes:

Strengths – those skills you are competent in and enjoy using
Values – what motivates and fulfills you at work and in general
Interests – areas that act as key motivators and ensure career enjoyment balance
Achievements – key success factors
Ideal role – if you could choose, what would your ideal role look like
Sector/industry interest – areas of particular interest
Satisfaction – areas of current and former job satisfaction
Development –skill gaps and needs and how will these be solved
Education and learning needs – identify maintain on-going learning
Work life balance – balancing work and private life to conserve energy
Career options – internal and external options based on themes
Career management –managing your on-going career effectively and proactively

There will be a small amount of pre work to complete.

Presenter: Cynthia Munro

Further information about the presenter is available at: https://www.c2consulting.co.nz/about-us/

Date and Time: Tuesday 29 September 2020, 9.00am – 1.00pm

Venue: Level 3, Urban Hub, 318 Lambton Quay, Wellington

Price: $360 including GST (includes workbook)

To register your interest or for further information, please complete the form below, phone 04 282 0809, or email clientservices@c2consulting.co.nz.

Career Development for the 55+ age group*

Identify your next step

Content includes:

Strengths – those skills you are competent in and enjoy using
Values – what motivates and fulfils you at work and in general
Interests – areas that act as key motivators and ensure career enjoyment balance
Achievements – key success factors
Ideal role – if you could choose, what would your ideal role look like
Sector/industry interest – areas of particular interest
Satisfaction – areas of current and former job satisfaction
Development –skill gaps and needs and how will these be solved
Education and learning needs – identify maintain on-going learning
Work life balance – balancing work and private life to conserve energy
Career options – internal and external options based on themes
Career management –managing your on-going career effectively and proactively
CV positioning

* Can include those aged 50+

There will be a small amount of pre work to complete.

Presenter: Cynthia Munro

Date and Time: To be confirmed when normal business resumes

Venue: Urban Hub, Level 2, 318 Lambton Quay, Wellington

Price: $360 including GST (includes workbook) (4 hour workshop)

To register your interest or for further information, please complete the form below, phone Cynthia on 0274 865 065, or email clientservices@c2consulting.co.nz.

Related services:

CV development

Career outplacement (transition)

Interview strategies

Job search strategies

Networking and approaching the market

Retirement planning

Change management

Financial advice

Life after sport – Career transition for Professional Sportspeople

We deliver our following Career Transition services via coaching and/or workshops sessions, both in person or via electronic media:

How many professional sportspeople think about what their career might look like after their professional sporting days are over? Many are focused on either building up or enjoying their sport, and it is not until an injury or retirement sees them ending their sporting career, that they turn their minds to life after their sport.

We assist sportspeople to identify their transferable skills and show them how they can be used and marketed in a different way. This opens up a range of work/career options that align with their skills, interests and motivations. Our coaching and/or workshop session(s) assist sportspeople to gain confidence that there is a life after sport and how they can work towards this and explore their options.

Knowing who you are

Your sports career
Strengths – those skills which you are good at and enjoy using
Values – the beliefs and motivators that provide you with purpose and meaning
Personal characteristics – how would you describe yourself?
Areas of satisfaction and enjoyment – what do you most enjoy about your sport?
Achievements – both as a professional and in life generally
Feedback – how do others describe you?
Challenges, issues and barriers and solutions

Potential Future Options

Industries and roles of interest
Organisations of interest
Potential roles and organisations
Development needs and goals
Study options

Making it work

Overcoming barriers
Action plan

Marketing yourself

Building a CV that markets you well
Networking for success – skills for self-promotion
Managing your career successfully

Cynthia Munro works with sports people, including professional rugby players and former Olympic athletes, assisting them, both before and during this transformation phase, with their future career direction, including writing CVs that market them into their chosen new vocation successfully.

Coaching: Is on an hourly basis with the number of hours dependent on individual requirements.

Seminars and Workshops: Can be arranged on request. For further information please contact us by email or phone Cynthia on 0274 865 065.

For further information or an appointment please contact us by email or phone Cynthia on 0274 865 065.

An option: Financial Coaching is a useful compliment to career transition

Financial coaching is personalised to meet individual needs and can be particularly useful if there is a material change in income. Personal financial security can enable you to focus on achieving your career objectives and the lifestyle that you would like for your family and yourself.

Careers can be impacted by concerns about personal financial circumstances. This is no reflection on individuals, but rather, it is a statement about the lack of basic financial education publicly available.

We offer individual financial coaching which can include such topics as:

Guide to dealing with everyday financial decisions
Cash and debt management
Strategies to avoid bad money habits
Traps and pitfalls
Finding the financial balance between lifestyle today and lifestyle tomorrow
How to create and maintain a financial plan over time
How to minimise the impact of “Life events”
KiwiSaver
Savings and investments – what to look for and how to manage the risk/return trade-off

Our coaching is personalised to meet the specific needs of each individual.

Financial Seminars: Can also be arranged on request.

Our financial coach, Craig Wylie, is an experienced financial consultant. He, and C² Consulting, are independent of any investment or insurance product providers.

For further information or an appointment please contact us by email or phone Craig on 021 473 770.

Related services:

CV development

Career outplacement (transition)

Interview strategies

Job search strategies

Networking and approaching the market

Change management

Financial guidance

Retirement planning

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