Almost all companies today rely on the internet to recruit and select their workforce, and job candidates must have a perfect CV to catch the eye of a hiring manager online.
Following the three tips below will improve your CV’s effectiveness and appeal, making it easier to connect and stand out, even in a sea of competition.
Results-driven
Many job hunters make the mistake of using narrative to describe their work and education experience. However, Forbes magazine states that recruiters only spend an average of six seconds scanning a CV. Yours need to be concise, well-organised, and results-driven. First, use bullet points to quickly summarise key points. Second, consider re-wording your work and education experiences so they demonstrate key qualifications more quickly.
For example, instead of describing sales duties, cite sales performance percentages. This is also effective for work experience that others may misconstrue as menial or insignificant. Retail and fast food employees could numerically describe their high performance duties, such as number of customers served per hour, or customer service performance ranking.
Use keywords
More and more companies rely on screening software programs to rapidly review enormous amounts of CVs. Therefore, CVs should use target keywords and select phrases that reflect the specific position and industry. While this may take more time, job candidates should consider crafting an individual CV for ideal job openings. For example, a job seeker should borrow wording and keywords from the job posting and integrate them into their CV.
To illustrate, a job candidate applying for a purchasing agent position should use a variety of related action verbs, such as purchase, supply, procure, and negotiate. As a result, when a hiring manager performs a database keyword search, your CV will be among the highest ranking in potential applicants.
Expand your education
After relevant work experience, educational background is the second thing many recruiters consider. Therefore, students should highlight classes or activities that demonstrate their knowledge and professional competency that apply to the target position. Recent graduates should create customised CVs that highlight different aspects of their degree.
For example, a business student could create a CV that highlights their marketing experience, and another that highlights their administration experience. Additionally, job seekers can never have enough education. While returning to school full-time is expensive and time-consuming, there are many online programs and adult centered universities like NKU PACE that offer excellent distance learning programmes and can help put you ahead.
Every potential job applicant must have a well-written CV that passes inspection from both software programs and hiring managers. CV effectiveness can be increased through being results-driven, using target keywords, and expanding your education. Use these tips and always double check for errors before sending yours out.
Do you need help filling up your CV? Comment below for some specialist advice from Career Camel!
Photo: Flazingo Photos / Flickr
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