Be the Candidate with the Stand Out CV!
Job hunting is competitive. For every job advertised, there are hundreds of applicants.
In-coming CVs for job applications go through a screening process. Does yours stand out?The first and critical consideration is your cover letter.
If you have not been writing a cover letter to send with your job application, start doing it now!
Your covering letter is your short, professional yet personal note to your potential employer stating why you are the person that is more suited to the role than any other candidate.
Choose your words carefully on your job application covering letter – remember you are talking to a very busy person, and that person has many options. Make sure you have no spelling errors!
The next critical step in the job application process is to have an up to date and relevant CV – starting with a short statement about who you are and what you are looking for.
Every recruitment situation is the process of finding the best fit between what the employer is looking for, the culture of the employer’s business, the skills the employee has to offer and the role that the employee is looking for. Be honest about what you are looking for in your next job. Honesty and sincerity trumps all else in the job application process!
CV Builders or CV Templates are useful in that they prompt you for appropriate content, but ultimately it’s you and your career achievements that you are selling. Make it about your accomplishments – make it clear what you have achieved and what you are most proud of.
List your career achievements in your CV in reverse chronological order – from most recent backwards. Focus on what you achieved for each organisation rather than the organisation itself or how long you were there.
Employers will want to know what you were responsible for, any growth in responsibility, whether you lead a team and if so, whether the team increased in size under your management – indicating a growth in the business.
Finally in your CV, list what things outside of work you are passionate about, and any community activities you have been involved with. While not strictly relevant to the position you are applying for, this information is extremely relevant to the cultural fit with the organisation.
Unless you are a skilled and experienced writer, we strongly advise that serious candidates seek professionally written CVs. The job of the CV is not to get you the job, it’s to get you the interview.
For every hundred CVs received, fewer than one will actually get to meet the employer. Why not short-cut the queue and land the most interviews possible – it means you may well get your pick of the jobs available!
For more information on CVs or for a quote on having your CV written for you by our specialist CV writer, give us a call on (09) 280-3977.