One of the most important aspects of landing the job of your dreams is staring with a powerful résumé (or CV, as they’re called in my part of the world). Either you present yourself well enough to get the interview or find yourself missing out on something great. Ultimately, it’s about selling yourself as best as you can so make sure you take the time to do it right.

Keep it short. The point is simply to get your foot in the door, so two pages of only the most essential information should be enough. Whenever something can be attached and referred to separately, do so and use the extra space for the crucial bits.

Keep it neat. The layout should make finding the relevant information easy and is often done chronologically from the present working back. Again, it helps when you don’t have too much of your life story spewed across pages that could quite easily be left out.

Keep it relevant. Include all the important dates, institutions, qualifications, activities, and achievements. Briefly talk about what you’ve learned in the experiences you’ve had and how those could be applied to the job you want.

Keep it interesting. The section on your hobbies can be a great opportunity to make yourself stand out, be it through your involvement in martial arts or volunteer work you do on weekends. Anything to make you memorable will always be a plus.

 (To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)

“Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.” – Pablo Picasso

There’s been a lot of understandable concern about privacy online. What are your views? Does it bother you that information about what you do is being gathered and used if doing so turns out to be in your best interest? Or should certain things remain only for us to know and not for others to use against us?

(To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)

“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” – Pablo Picasso

In case you haven’t noticed, the global workplace is highly competitive and highly complex. It’s the reason increasing emphasis is placed on education and skills. In this post, I’d like to offer suggestions on what the job market values together with ways to make sure you develop those skills.

“There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don’t know.” – Ambrose Bierce

Different companies want different things. Knowing what your employer is looking for allows you to develop appropriate skills and make yourself valuable. Finding this out does not need to be hard. If you’re applying for a job, talk to the human resource department or do a few searches online. And if you’re already working, have a sit-down with your boss to find out how you can contribute more. Ultimately, it’s about understanding what you have to offer and linking that to what the organisation needs.

“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” – Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Specific fields (like medicine or law) require specific skills, but all employers have many needs in common. You’ve got to be a team player. You’ve got to know how to communicate, negotiate, and influence others. You’ve got to be flexible enough to deal with different people and different environments. You’ve got to be a critical thinker and be able to consider creative ways to solve a problem after tackling it from all sides. You’ve got to show initiative and motivation when it comes to setting goals, managing priorities, dealing with deadlines, and getting things done.

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” – Thomas H. Huxley

Having a degree is just the beginning. All the other “qualifications” often turn out to be more important. So develop a passion for learning and never let it fade. Keep finding new ways to expand your mind. Take part in activities offered at your university or do some volunteer work in the community. Join a society or take up a new sport. Find people who share that passion and use them to make yours grow.

(To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)