This guest article is from Sidar OK, an executive coach that supports employees who want to increase their income by becoming independent consultants.
Introduction
Why investing in your CV is the best ROI activity for your independentbusiness
Five principles to create a resume using the methods recruiters use Principle #1: Understand why clients hire freelancers over an employee
Principle #2: Research is the king
Principle #3: Presentation is key
Principle #4: Use your CV as a sales copy
Principle #5: Learn the language. Then ignore it
Principle #6: Make it an Achiever CV, not just a Doer CV
Three Lessons for Independent CVsLesson 1: An employee Project Manager CV?An independent Consultant Project Manager CV
Lesson #2: Your client’s first contract is your CV
Lesson 3: Your CV is not static. It is a living asset.
How to avoid past career setbacks that haunt you. “I have a gap”
“I held seemingly insignificant positions in the past.”
“I was fired from certain of my jobs.”
The Key Takeaways
Sidar OK
Introduction
Sidar OKWhen I became an independentconsultant 12 years ago, freelance missions were abundant.
I would receive about 3-4 offers per semaine just by using my LinkedIn profile, my public CV, and my LinkedIn profile.
After the 2008 crisis and subsequent recession, times changed. There were massive layoffs and all those great employees suddenly became my competition.
To stand out from the crowd, I had to bring my A-game.
After this realization, I paid attention to my resume and was able to work with several Fortune 500 companies as well as high-paying government agencies.
I learned a lot along the way about creating a CV that delivers results. This article will share 5 key principles to a stellar CV, 3 key lessons that independent contractor CVs can learn, and how you can deal with gaps in your career.
This is only a one-step look at the journey to becoming an independent consultant. I created a complete guide and a workbook, which includes all the steps. It also contains checklists and a notebook. You can download the package here. There is a lot of general advice on resumes and CVs. Elizabeth gives a great review on a book about CVs and interviews.
Another article about how to find keywords that are relevant to your resume. Another article on how to beat robots.
These wheels will not be reinvented.
We will mainly be focusing on CVs of independent project managers. This guide will still be valuable to employees.
Why investing in your CV is the best ROI activity for your independentbusiness
There are two basic ways to increase your revenue in your independent consulting business:
Increase repeat business
And
Increase the number of leads
Your performance in your current gig is what will determine your ability to win repeat business. It takes a lot of dedication and time.
There are many ways to increase your leads, such as networking, partnerships, and other methods. The easiest way to increase your leads is to love your CV.
You are in complete control of your actions and how they affect others. It is possible to bypass recruitment robots by simply including a few keywords.
LinkedIn can also be updated when you update your CV. You are now easily found for the skills that you want, and you will be there forever.
Five general principles for creating a CV using the methods that recruiters use
Let’s take a look at the CV screening process.
Your LinkedIn profile and CV can be written by you
You can apply for a job or search for keywords that match your keywords.
A robot (ATS: Automated tracking System) scans your CV and generates an outline
If you are a high-potential candidate, an ATS recruiter will scan your CV.
If all goes well, your resume will be sent to the hiring manager.
Everything is great: You are invited to an interview.
A recruiter receives thousands of CVs