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However happy you may be in your current delivery work job, sooner or later you may wish to move on. Now an important part of you being able to secure a job that you want, rather than one that someone else thinks you should have, is being able to present yourself as being an attractive proposition. That often consists of a combination of a telephone call or two, sending in a CV (Curriculum Vitae, though the US equivalent of résumé is also becoming increasingly common) and attending an interview or two also.

For many years the delivery work and haulage business was slightly unusual in that CVs were often treated fairly casually and sometimes not even asked for, but that’s now changed or changing. There isn’t space here to explain how to prepare yourself for an interview or construct a CV but we can share a few slightly tongue-in-cheek tips about how not to shoot yourself in the foot during this process.

Keep it short

Your CV is a quick overview of your life, schooling and pertinent delivery work experience. It’s not meant to be your autobiography. If it starts running to more than about 3 pages, then either you’ve led a phenomenally interesting professional life or you’ve got too much detail in there.
You want your CV to make an impact and communicate who you are and what you have to offer to a potential employer. If they need a forklift truck to carry it from their mailroom to the boss’s desk, then you’re sunk before you’ve even left port.

Keep it relevant

Whether you’re outlining your career or private life in your CV, don’t ramble on about things that are irrelevant to your delivery work credentials. Interesting as it may be to some that you were the East Midlands conker champion of 1984, and had trumpet lessons between 1982 and 1985, they’re not likely to be make-or-break influencers in terms of securing you that new job. Therefore, park the sharing of that sort of detail until you’ve got the job and are at the Christmas party (and even then, you might want to think twice!).
Keep it positive – 1

Never criticise anyone or anything in your CV. Try to ensure that it’s entirely factual and neutral in tone. Never decide to settle a few old scores, raise a few old chestnuts or launch into tirades in your CV. It’s not a political manifesto! So, sentences such as “I left this delivery work job because the boss was totally incompetent and inept” should be avoided at all costs – even if that was what actually happened!
Keep it positive – 2

Unless you’re determined to commit career suicide before you’ve even got the job, don’t major on your own failings. Saying in your CV that you went back into part-time education for a year might look good. Saying that you did so because your employer at the time said that you didn’t have sufficient basic academic skills, might look rather less attractive.

Keep it complete

Make sure your work history completely covers the period from the time you left school or college right up until the present time. Don’t leave gaps in the chronology – they scare people.
If your CV history is mysteriously silent between say 1997 and 2002, people will often just assume the worst, however illogically, such as:

• You were in prison
• You were a mercenary fighting in an unsavoury war somewhere
• You were a criminal mastermind living off your earnings

Of course, if any of those things were actually the case, you’ll need to communicate them subtly and sensitively!

Keep it truthful

Never exaggerate or lie in your CV. Employers may well check and some do as a matter of policy. If you’re applying for a job as a delivery work driver and claim that in your previous job you were head of deep space research for NASA, well, it’s going to ring a few alarm bells. So you really better be able to substantiate it! Seriously though, exaggerating or telling lies on your CV may get you into trouble. If you have got bad news, make sure you deliver it at the interview rather have than someone discover it later.

That’s about it! Avoiding some of these howlers just might help you secure that next delivery work job.

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry across the UK and Europe. It provides services for haulage companies to buy and sell delivery work , road transport and delivery work in the domestic and international markets.

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