| Contractors are skilled experts in their specialist often | | | | duplication & overlap in Marketing & CRM activities |
| technical field, having niche skills or extensive | | | | manifested by significant customer dissatisfaction plus |
| experience in multi-million dollar, time critical technologies | | | | high overspending |
| or business projects. They are well paid, and are seen | | | | - presentation of findings & recommendations led to |
| as providing value to clients. However, the criticality of | | | | contract extension with brief to devise plans for |
| their overall annual earnings is defined by getting their | | | | marketing activity consolidation: solution incorporated |
| next project lined up before or soon after their last | | | | formal workflows, a centralised contact management |
| project completes, and hence are highly reliant on their | | | | system and more rigorous document translation |
| CV being able to communicate consistent delivery | | | | processes; potential 3rd party solution providers were |
| capability and developing skill set breadth are essential. | | | | also evaluated and a vendor selected |
| Whilst the first part of this series concentrated on | | | | We highlighted in the free report that the brief |
| strategic issues of the Contractor CV, this second part | | | | accepted and skills deployed were difficult to extract. |
| concentrates on the critical tactical deployment within | | | | The client had chosen to implement a simple |
| the CV of two key elements: | | | | skills-based approach which highlighted the skill (and |
| - Skills balance | | | | hence his wider portfolio - there were six such |
| - Writing up each position under SAR principles: | | | | projects written as skills highlights), which was positive |
| Situation, Action, Result | | | | in showing that skill, but negative in that the reader only |
| Permanent candidates can choose to focus (or not) | | | | thought of seeking evidence of that skill in reading that |
| on certain skills they have, so as to align themselves | | | | section - the wider skills and soft skills portfolio was |
| more appropriately with a position they are applying | | | | missed. We rewrote the section deploying the |
| for. Contractors need to primarily show both | | | | principles outlined above: |
| successful skills deployment, as well as evidence of | | | | Interim IT Consultant: |
| recency of there deployment. As with most CV's, HR | | | | - EMEA HQ noted unacceptably high level of |
| professionals will question a skill not deployed for at | | | | customer dissatisfaction with marketing practices |
| least three years, and dismiss it after five years of no | | | | - Engaged by board to understand issues, and |
| usage. Most successful contractor CV's show both | | | | generate solution |
| skills development as well as successful results from | | | | - Undertook interviews with 20+ in-country Marketing |
| broad skills deployment. It is therefore important to | | | | Directors and key staff, supplemented by external |
| show balance and breadth of your skills portfolio in a | | | | research and benchmarking. Discovered that too high |
| series of successful deployments. | | | | a degree of in-country autonomy created significant |
| The second key tactical issues is the use of SAR | | | | marketing duplication, resulting in customer |
| principles: Situation, Action, Result. Again, this tactic | | | | dissatisfaction and over budget expenditure |
| shows a balance of skills deployment, as well as under | | | | - Presentation report led to contract extension to |
| pinning the assurance of social fit. It is often wise to | | | | deliver recommendations via Document and workflow |
| take the SAR principle back one step, to highlight the | | | | control, devising plans for marketing activity |
| problem/opportunity that the client faced when | | | | consolidation, group learning and improved translation |
| deciding to both choose your skill set as well as well | | | | process, and a centralised contact management |
| as they way they choose to deploy them. The | | | | system. |
| wind-back tactic also shows how much of the brief | | | | - Potential solution providers were evaluated and a |
| they gave to you - was it a wider brief in which you | | | | vendor selected |
| worked as part of a team, or did you take a key part | | | | This example shows: |
| of the brief in a specialist role? | | | | - Use and deployment of SAR principles, with each |
| So what are the outcomes of applying these rules? | | | | engagement having a brief of the client situation |
| Here is an example section of an actual interim IT | | | | contractor engagement. The fact each was a board |
| Director CV rewritten using these principles, who initially | | | | brief gave the client better gravitas |
| engaged via our free CV review service: | | | | - Better spread of skills - not just focusing on the single |
| Interim IT Consultant | | | | skill, but also the wider portfolio and soft/social skills |
| - Document & workflow control: engaged by EMEA | | | | The result was a more balanced CV which kept the |
| HQ to investigate unacceptably high level of customer | | | | principle of displaying a wider skills portfolio, but skills |
| dissatisfaction with marketing practices | | | | deployment and proven social fit with numerous |
| - conducted research & interviews with 20+ in-country | | | | contract extension examples. The result was that the |
| Marketing Directors & other key staff: discovered that | | | | client, who had managed his career well, gained more |
| high degree of autonomy had led to significant | | | | work at a 20% higher remuneration level. |