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Landing a dream job, not any job: Don’t send your CV (résumé)

For purposes of this series, we will be using résumé[1] and curriculum vitae[2] (CV), interchangeably.

A CV with a ‘for everyone’ cover letter = junk mail
A CV without a cover letter = waste paper.
 Imagine the fate of hundreds of direct mailers that you pick from the mailbox. Do they ever get into your door? In all probability, they would have hit the trash somewhere between the mailboxes to the door. In Singapore, where I live, they have a trashcan next to the mailboxes in most apartments and that makes thrash-ing a bit easier.
Most – 99.2% – of the CVs go straight from Inbox to Trash. Now a days, I hear that some companies have developed some amazing software code that helps them generate a nice sounding rejection letter before moving to trash. Most of the CVs however are ignored.
To elucidate this, imagine this – how do you react when a salesperson knocks at your door without an appointment? Would you have ever bought a dime of insurance policy from someone who just barged into your office or home without an appointment? Cold calling, as they are called have very extremely low success rates. The customer may just not need for the product, they may be too busy to talk, or better still, they may just be watching their favorite soccer match for the 11th time.
You are the product and your CV is your brochure. Super sales people never send a brochure before meeting with a prospective customer. They know that sales brochures (in some cases, I have seen twenty-page proposals) sent prior to needs analysis is irrelevant, off target and often unread.
Super sales people send brochure after the first meeting or bring it with them on follow-up calls. If the brochure is not completely customized to the customer’s needs, the sales person highlights the product benefits that will have the highest chance of solving the customer’s problems.
Super sales people create interest in their products and use the brochures to re-affirm and to leave a lasting impression of the product or the meeting.
Why are we saying all this – You may just follow what super sales people do and make your CV behave like a Velcro. That happens only after customer reads it after talking to you, hearing about you, or meeting you. This is particularly true if you have interviewed or spoken to the hiring manager. Your CV will be able to deliver to the ‘needs’
Turn junk mail into a money mail. Do not send a CV without proper preparation. If possible, deliver your CV in person. Present your CV. Follow-up with your CV that meets the needs.
Best-of-luck!


[1] Wikipedia defines CV thus – A curriculum vitae (CV) provides an overview of a person’s life and qualifications. The CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment.
[2] Wikipedia defines a resume thus: A résumé (French pronunciation: [ʁezyme]) is a document that contains a summary of relevant job experience and education for specific employment search. The résumé is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment. The résumé is comparable to a curriculum vitae in many countries, although in Canada and United States it is substantially different.