How To Write A Professional CV That Will Project You As A Good Candidate
From my experience with reviewing and rewriting Cvs, a lot of people think that a Curriculum vitae (CV) is just a document that should detail their bio-data, with the names of the places they have worked with, the end and start dates or Institutions they have attended with end and start dates, and then it is okay
On the contrary, this is not okay at all. Maybe it would be if you are applying for some random job that you do not care whether you get hired or not
My guess is that you are looking for a professional job, suitable for your career choice, with a highly reputable firm, to start a fulfilling career, or move higher in your career journey
If this is the case, you cannot afford to deal lightly with that document. It is the first point of contact between you and a potential employer and should build an impression of competency almost immediately
But it’s not a big deal really. Here is a simple way to write a Job winning Cv.
BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE JOB ROLES YOU WANT TO APPLY FOR
I always like to say that there is nothing like a general-purpose Cv. You cannot submit the same Cv for an Administrative executive and a fashion designer. your experience in fashion designing won’t be relevant in administrative roles
GET A HANDLE ON INDUSTRY SPECIFIC KEYWORDS AND PHRASES
For organizations who use the Applicant Tracking System in their recruitment process, keywords and phrases are what helps them to filter the best talents from a lot of applicant pool
For instance, for an administrative executive, some of the keywords that should be peppered through your Cv are; Office Administration, Microsoft Office tools proficiency, Customer relationship management, accounting, data entry, meticulous, organized, etc.
HIGHLIGHT YOUR BEST SKILLS AND STRENGTHS
The Professional Summary section of your Cv is the first place the eyes settle when a Hiring Manager picks up your Cv. Note that on the average, your Cv gets viewed for 6 seconds, and if this is the only place the hiring manager gets to read, it should project you as the best candidate for the job
USE ACTIONABLE WORDS
Your CV should go beyond stating what you barely did in your old job, to show that you accomplished and gained the relevant experiences. It should portray you as an achiever, not just a performer. To achieve this, use words such as seasoned, experienced, managed, improved, strategic, initiated etc
So, when next you need to write your Cv, remember that it is your most important tool of defence for your experience, qualifications and skills
Yours in Career building
Mary Adole
