CV Services
- Student/Graduate CV
- Midcareer CV
- Manager CV
- Senior Manager CV
- Executive CV
- Career Change CV
- Free CV Review
Other Services
Choosing professional CV companies guide – gimmicks
The best CV companies do not need to use gimmicks to attract clientele. However, lesser companies do. Examples of marketing gimmicks include discounts, free printing, putting your CV on a disc, sending it to you by post etc.
Of course, some people are lured by the prospect of e.g. having their CV put on a disc etc. Unfortunately however, gimmicks rarely lead to jobs - and surely that must be the ultimate aim of any CV?
The most effective CVs are not those which come with discounts, additional printouts, or CD-ROM formats. On the contrary, the most effective CVs are the ones which are best written; i.e ones which are concise, pertinent and highly proactive. Yes, such CVs probably do cost more than discounted ones, but at the end of the day they are more effective at getting you the job.
Whilst we are on the subject of gimmicks, another gimmick that many people don't spot is the additional prices certain CV companies charge for telephone or face-to-face consultations. Some companies charge very high prices for services which include face-to-face consultations, and some unfortunate jobseekers travel miles and pay through the nose just to tell the consultant something that they could have easily just jotted down in an e-mail anyway. In fact, e-mail is not only quicker and easier, but it usually more reliable than telephone and face-to-face consultations anyway. After all, the product is a written document and e-mail is perfect for that.
Yes, some clients feel that they need to mention something specifically to their consultant in person, and some clients do prefer paying extra for face-to-face consultations. Even so, we have been doing this a long time and have yet to hear a single thing a client says face-to-face that they couldn't say on the telephone or in an e-mail.
Hopefully that is some food for thought for you before you spend an extra £200 on a face-to-face consultation (and usually with a less experienced writer to boot!)