| 1. Opinions not facts | | | | Taking the specific role of compliance monitoring you |
| Imagine the following in a profile statement on a | | | | should be able to deduce that it requires an |
| compliance CV: | | | | investigative approach. Good compliance monitoring |
| "A highly experienced Head of Compliance with strong | | | | has a lot to do with a person's ability to decipher the |
| leadership skills and the ability to influence policy | | | | numbers and determine, for example, whether market |
| decisions." | | | | abuse has occurred. |
| It seems like a strong statement but this sentence is | | | | Knowing this, a job seeker needs to write in black and |
| an opinion the job seeker has about their abilities. | | | | white their ability to investigate problems and find |
| When a job seeker states an opinion it will often be | | | | resolutions. Also, if the job seeker is aware that this is |
| the interviewer's prerogative to get the hard facts | | | | the most important aspect of the job they are applying |
| about the statement a job seeker has put forward. | | | | for then they need to put this evidence first. When |
| This line of interviewing is what we have all come to | | | | writing their CV the first line of their most recent |
| know and love as competency-based interviewing. | | | | career experience should have something along the |
| A much more powerful and direct way to | | | | lines of: |
| communicate suitability on a CV is to use facts. This | | | | · Currently investigating 30 concurrent |
| allows a recruiter or hiring manager to fully understand | | | | compliance issues across all product lines for a US |
| the level of comprehension a job seeker has for the | | | | Investment Bank · This experience lends itself |
| job they have applied for and also puts that persons | | | | well to compliance monitoring work |
| abilities firmly into their mind. The main reason for this is | | | | Note: it might also be good to include the specific |
| that a hiring manager like any other person | | | | products that you are currently knowledgeable on. This |
| comprehends and remembers facts much better than | | | | helps recruiters and employers to find you if they use |
| an opinion. It is very difficult for a hiring manager or | | | | keyword searching on a CV database. |
| recruiter to hold onto an opinion particularly when that | | | | I'm sure you understand the gist of what we are |
| opinion is generic and not very specific to that individual | | | | saying. The important point to take away is that |
| job seeker. The classic (and terribly droll) opinion being, | | | | providing facts, in the right order that match the job |
| "Works well individually or in a team." Quite honestly, if | | | | requirements, is essential in progressing your career. A |
| you cannot do both you really do not have a place in | | | | CV is a sales tool and should be utilised as such. |
| the modern working world unless you work in quaint | | | | Always think of the reader. |
| finance and all they want you to do its lock you in a | | | | 4. Spelling mistakes / poor grammar |
| dark room to crunch numbers. | | | | OK... I know you have heard it before. So we are not |
| May we suggest an improvement on our original | | | | going to flog a dead horse on this issue. HOWEVER, it |
| opinion and turn it into some facts: | | | | still amazes us that (as a collective of ex-compliance |
| · 10 years experience as Head of Compliance | | | | recruiters) the frequency of spelling and grammar |
| in investment banking | | | | mistakes is so high, PARTICULARLY, at a senior level. |
| · Managed teams of between 5 and 15 from | | | | We think you can get by with perhaps one or two |
| Compliance Assistant to Vice President of Compliance | | | | spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes on your CV, |
| · Lead on 3 global compliance policy | | | | but we have seen dozens on some CV's from Head's |
| documents which affected over 15,000 employees | | | | of Compliance! |
| work | | | | Spelling and grammar mistakes have three simple |
| Better? We think so. | | | | remedies: |
| 2. Poor structure | | | | 1. Use spell check on your Word Processor (.i.e. Word |
| A typical CV consists of the following structure: | | | | or Open Office Writer), ensuring it is set to the correct |
| 1. Name | | | | language for your country. 2. Get a friend you trust |
| 2. Address | | | | implicitly to check and re-check your CV. If that friend |
| 3. Phone Number | | | | works as an analyst or in a reporting role requiring lots |
| 4. Email address | | | | of writing then they might spot mistakes. Even better, |
| 5. Personal Profile (typically around 10 sentences long) | | | | get two or three friends to check and then you have |
| 6. Education | | | | really made sure there is nothing wrong. 3. As you |
| 7. Career Background | | | | check your CV read it out loud slowly. This technique |
| Now, we do not mean to grumble but we would like | | | | will help you focus on what you have written and it will |
| you to think about the reader of your CV for just a | | | | give you a good idea as to the flow of your writing. |
| moment. In most cases the most relevant info is in | | | | Please, please, please try to avoid spelling and |
| number 7 (Career Background) on the list, unless you | | | | grammar mistakes. For spelling use the spell check |
| are a graduate, in which case number 6 (Education) | | | | facility and look up a reputable dictionary if in doubt. For |
| may be more appropriate. | | | | grammar a good book you can buy to help you is The |
| The hiring manager/recruiter has advertised for a | | | | Economists' Style Guide. If you prefer their free |
| Compliance Manager. Rightly, you decide to submit | | | | version it's online. |
| your CV. The recruiter may have time to sift through | | | | 5. Generic Eric |
| your CV and pick out the relevant parts of your | | | | This might seem like it covers old ground as it relates |
| experience that apply directly to the job (assuming you | | | | closely to point 1 (Opinions not facts) but it does have |
| have actually tailored your CV). This would assume | | | | its own subtle place here. Generic Eric is a |
| you have a very patient recruiter at the receiving end | | | | troublesome soul. His writing style is simple: write to |
| of your CV. However, a hiring manager is much less | | | | ensure I cover all aspects of what others want to |
| likely to be so forgiving. Recruiting people may only be | | | | hear. An excellent example would be a sentence in a |
| 5% of their day, so they will not spend a great deal of | | | | profile statement such as: |
| time sifting through the info. They need relevant info as | | | | · A good communicator who can work with a |
| soon as possible. If you use the rule that a hiring | | | | wide variety of people |
| manager or recruiter needs to see at least 80% of the | | | | The rationale behind Generic Eric's sentence is to |
| job description answered within the first 30 seconds of | | | | make sure he writes something about 'communication' |
| reading your CV or at least on the first ¾ of a | | | | because you have to, and to show he is a good |
| page then you will not go far wrong. | | | | communicator which is what all hiring managers want |
| Get tough with yourself:a) Do not write 'Curriculum | | | | in the heady world of compliance. Unfortunately, |
| Vitae' at the top of your CV it is more than obvious | | | | Generic Eric has filled the first half of his CV with this |
| what the document pertains to. b) Write your name, | | | | bland, meaningless drivel. The hiring manager or |
| the city/town you live in, an email address and your | | | | recruiter finds Eric's CV and gets so bored of reading |
| telephone number only. c) Exclude a personal profile | | | | it that it goes to the shredder (putting CV's in a regular |
| unless it contains facts supporting the specific job | | | | bin does not adhere very well to the data protection |
| application you are going for. d) Place your education | | | | act!). |
| after your career history unless you are a graduate. e) | | | | Our advice is to completely remove these pointless |
| Tailor your most recent job experience to make sure it | | | | sentences and keep your CV as punchy and relevant |
| relates directly to the job description advertised. | | | | as possible. If it sounds generic then leave it out. |
| 3. Where is the evidence? | | | | If you want to emphasise your ability to communicate |
| This might seem like a straight-forward point but it is | | | | then state a fact that might help you such as: |
| another of the top 5 mistakes on CV's. Not only are | | | | · Have made presentations on complex |
| most CV's full of opinions and not facts, they are | | | | compliance issues to rooms of between 10 and 50 |
| poorly structured and they often have very little | | | | people with no knowledge of compliance |
| evidence of how the job seeker can perform the job | | | | Here you have demonstrated a clear ability to |
| advertised. | | | | communicate without using your own opinion or |
| Assume that a job is advertised for a Compliance | | | | providing nonspecific information. |
| Monitoring Manager. It is likely that the employer or | | | | One of the key requirements of a CV is to make you |
| recruiter is looking for an individual with compliance | | | | stand out in a positive way. Bear in mind that Henry |
| monitoring experience. Perhaps you would like to apply | | | | Ford invented the division of labour that we now all |
| but don't have the relevant monitoring experience, | | | | love/hate today. As a society of specialists its should |
| although you work with other compliance monitoring | | | | be easy to make our experience unique and for us to |
| assistants and you think you are perfectly capable of | | | | create CV's that SELL those all important distinctive |
| performing the job (if not a little better than them!). | | | | characteristics. |