by Jayne Cravens
via coyotecommunications.com & coyoteboard.com (same web site)

Résumé & Curriculum Vitae (CV) Consulting Services

for people looking to work in aid, relief and development

Please note: I have suspended my one-on-one CV consulting for people looking to work in aid, relief and development and I don't know if I am going to resume it. I suspended it because:

My work schedule is erratic and I cannot guarantee I can be available for a quick turnaround.
A few people who have received the consultation were deeply disappointed that most of my consulting was correcting their spelling and grammar, or was asking questions they needed to answer in order to edit the CV themselves, with more of their own experiences, rather than me writing such for them (which is impossible for me to do without knowing them personally - and therefore spending a lot more time with them, which would cost a LOT more money).
So many people who wrote don't have the experience asked for in the jobs they wanted to have. And no ethical CV consultant can fix that.
A few people thought my consulting guaranteed them a job with the United Nations or another international agency and they were upset that that's not what happened. They refused to believe that they weren't always the best, perfect candidate for every job they applied for.

In short: I got tired of the negativity.

I don't know when or if I will resume CV consulting.

I am keeping this page up in case I change my mind and decide to resume my CV consulting services.

But I have FREE advice for people looking to work in aid, relief and development - please read it and follow it.

Here's the original content from this page:

"Without Jayne's help, I would never have gotten into the UN's LEAD program. She helped me realize I had all sorts of experience I wasn't talking about in my application. She made my own words stronger. I say she has a golden hand!"
-- Iranian colleague from UNDP

"I told Jayne what kind of work I wanted to do, and she helped me repackage myself. She looked at the job I wanted and talked to me about my pas work experience, and was able to put things in my résumé from my past work I had never thought of. And I got the job!"
-- French colleague from UNIFEM

Many people miss out on jobs in nonprofit, aid, relief and/or development because of how they present their skills and experience in their résumé, or curriculum vitae (CV). Often, the experiences that a person has that would be most valued by these employers are not explicitly stated. The résumé may have worked well with for-profit companies, academic institutions and even with some nonprofits, but it lacks the style and language that aid, relief and development agencies look for.

Whether you are applying to work at a United Nations agency or an international NGO, to work at an international non-governmental agency (NGO), to work at a small nonprofit organization, or to be a part of VSO Canada, VSO or the PeaceCorps or some other volunteer-sending agency, your résumé needs to represent a variety of your professional, volunteer and academic experiences that are most desired by these agencies.

I have screened résumés for a variety of aid, relief and development agencies and nonprofits, and I have helped many professionals, from people just getting started to seasoned professionals, to improve their résumés and overall presentation, with excellent results. I can use this background to help improve your résumé. Using your answers to a variety of questions, a review of your current résumé, and a review of the jobs you feel you are qualified for, I can work with you to greatly improve your résumé -- and, ultimately, improve your chances of being hired.

Before you write me about my CV consulting, please

first look at this page regarding Résumé & Curriculum Vitae (CV) Advice for people looking to work in aid, relief and development. It may provide all of the detailed information you need to improve your résumé and land the job you want. Then also
look at this page of free advice for working abroad.

Perhaps you don't need me at all - these two aforementioned pages may provide all the information you need to revise your résumé or CV appropriately. They represent 50% of the advice I give in consultations to people that pay me. If you still decide to inquiry about my CV consulting, please revise your CV first based on the advice on these pages BEFORE you contact me.

Also note:

My assessment of your CV will be straightforward, and it might sound harsh, as it will be in writing (and anything in writing can sound harsh).
I will not help you invent items to fill gaps in your skills or experience. What I will do is help you identify wording that is appropriate for international jobs, as well as help you identify skills and experiences that should be on your CV that you might not have thought of.
I may ask a lot of questions about your experience, both paid and unpaid, official and unofficial; what I'm trying to do, if I ask a lot of questions, is to help you fill in gaps in your skills and experience on your CV for jobs you want. If you don't answer these questions, I can't really help you. I had a client say, "You are making me do all the work!" I am not a mind-reader - I am not going to make up things for you to put on your CV if I see gaps.
I will correct spelling and grammar. One client told me spelling and grammar didn't really matter on a CV, and she was angry that I corrected such on her CV. I have seen the stack of résumés on HR staff desks from applicants that will not be considered for a position because of too many spelling and grammar mistakes. Hiring managers feel that, if you don't care about spelling and grammar, perhaps you won't care about other tasks - and they want someone who shows attention to detail.
The key to any successful job seeker is networking, and I offer advice for networking here.

For my rates, please do all of the aforementioned and, if you still think I can help you, then contact me; in your email, send me your LinkedIn profile and the URLs for at least two jobs in which you are most interested, or a note that you are interested in UNV, VSO Canada, VSO, PeaceCorps or similar assignment. Then I will decide if I will accept you as a client (I don't accept everyone). If I do decide to take you on, then I'll ask for payment in advance, and payment must be submitted via Paypal or Skrill - I will send you more details if I accept you as a client. I will NOT give out my bank account details.

DISCLAIMER: With this consultancy comes no guarantee for a job whatsoever. There are no magic words or a magic format for a CV or cover letter that will assure you the position you desire, and I don't promise such.

Also see: CV mistakes: how to lose a job in development before you press send

Before you write me about my CV consulting, please do all of the above with your CV. Then look at this page of free advice for working abroad. A lot of what is on this page is what I have first advised people in previous consultancies.

Please revise your CV first based on the above, as well as the advice on this page, before contacting me about my CV consulting services.

How did you get to work for the United Nations?!? - my answer to a frequently asked question.