Using a Sales CV Proactively

The CV or curriculum vitae is probably the most important tool a salesperson has in their toolbox when trying to find the next brilliant position. You can very quickly put yourself in front of managers and decision makers and have the flexibility to bring out your most valuable assets and most positive experiences. And there are many different ways in which you can use your CV. You should not just wait for the time when the right job advert comes along demanding one. A CV should be like a “business plan”. It should be created when you first start work and continually updated as you progress, learn new skills, gain experience and qualifications. Know Yourself For a salesperson to be successful in his work he needs to be confident, assured and be at one with himself. Creating a CV can be a really useful way to reflect on all your positive aspects. Many job seekers have found that it is not until you actually sit down and look at all your, skills, experiences and qualifications that you begin to unearth fundamental things which you have long forgotten about. Assets that maybe very basic, but may make the difference between you getting that prized job or not. Before writing the CV construct a table with three columns - one for “My Skills”, one for “My Qualifications” and one for “My Experiences”. And above all don’t be modest. rnBy creating a CV you will have a much better idea of how you got to where you are now and all the assets you can offer to a sales manager. This in turn will create confidence. Be Proactive If you have a CV that runs parallel with your career and is constantly updated you won’t be caught out when that no.1 precious job comes along. But they do not have to be used just for specific jobs. If you are looking for work in the sales arena then you need to get yourself in front of as many people as possible. So let managers of relevant companies know you are available for work by sending them your sales CV. Cover it with an opening letter which also refers to a little bit of a background about their company. This will show you are passionate about working for them specifically. Also ask them to hold the CV on file if there is not a vacancy available at that time. If they can give you feedback this would also be valuable. Work with the individual Job description If a job you have seen advertised asks for a CV don’t just send it off straight away. You need to make sure the points asked for in the job description and the person specification are crystal clear in your sales CV. So adapt it so the assets they are looking for are in the most prominent place. Perhaps you will need to make more of an experience you had previously that helped you gain a skill mentioned in the job description. So you will find yourself with more than one CV adaptable to specific types of posts within the sales arena.