More Questions and Answers – Page 8

Q. Do you really test would-be writer applicants?
A. Yes, we really do.

Q. Why?
A. I think you need to. A lot of the applications we receive are from people who say things along the lines of ‘I have been working for X company as a professional CV writer for 10 years, I have 100% success rate, and am the best writer under the Sun…’

So many candidates don’t have any problem talking themselves up, and if you took their comments on face value you’d want to hire them all. However, I always find that proof is in the pudding, and it is very interesting that in all these years I have never once received a decent test from someone who talked themselves up like this -let alone a good one.

Our test is really there to separate out the truly talented writers, from those who yes, may well work as a writer, but don’t necessarily have the natural talent that we at CV Succeed are looking for.

Q. So do you think your test works?
A. I’m not sure it’s totally foolproof, because there is more to a top quality CV writing than meets the eye, and there is a learning curve. It is therefore possible that some talented writers don’t get past the first stage, just because they didn’t cotton on quickly enough to what was required. At the same time, it’s absolutely no fluke whatsoever that the few writers who successfully navigated through the series of tests made it to become one of our consultants. I really believe that they are the cream of the crop, and I don’t think I would have necessarily seen just how good they were compared to the other candidates if I hadn’t given everyone a test.

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Paul (182 Posts)

Paul , top UK CV specialist, head of leading firm CV Succeed, and author of the most pioneering CV book in decades, The One Page CV (published by top career sector publishers Pearson Education).


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