How To Write A CV that will get you a Job
Your CV (curriculum vitae) or Resume is basically the first testament of your academic qualifications, skills and work experience as well as personal information.
It is important for one to note that, the layout of your CV is what will determine if you’ll make the selection criteria of being called in for the interviews or it will be tossed into the trash cans.
Most young people who are in the job market today struggle with writing a basic CV. This article serves to highlight some of the most important features your CV ought to have.
Firstly you need to understand that recruiters get a lot of CVs in their emails and on their desks everyday.
It’s important to note that, not all of these applicants get called to come in for interviews. When writing your CV always remember these few important things.
- use a clear font like Arial, Times New Roman or Calibri in size 11 or bigger
- always use the same style throughout
- use headings and bullet points to make it easier to read
- be clear and to the pointget someone else to read it to double check your spelling and grammar.
APPLY HERE: Assistant Store Manager Job Opportunity at Mr Price
Also another thing is you need to make sure your CV is always updated. If you already have a CV which you wrote 10 years ago or 6 years ago.
You must now therefore update it to fit into your current profession standing and to align with the job position you’re applying for.
When updating your CV, you should remember to:
- tailor your CV to the job you’re applying forinclude any new achievements, experiences, or skills you have gained
- read each section of your CV to check it includes the information it should
- remove outdated information
- check your contact details are correct
- You should tailor your CV to the job or opportunity you’re applying for.
- Look at the job advert for the role you’re applying for.
- This will usually have the job description, essential criteria and company details.
- If the job you’re applying for does not have a job description, you can look at our job profiles to see what skills you’ll need and the typical things you’ll do in that job
- .Always write a CV that matches the company you’re applying into. Remember that a CV is not a one size fit all. Change specifications according to the company/ organisation and position you’re applying for.
SECTIONS OF A CV
Your CV is definitely not complete if it doesn’t have the following sections in it.
CONTACT DETAILS
Yes, contact details are very important in a CV. In this section you include your phone number and email address. Tip: Do not use email addresses made out of a nickname e.g datdopegirl@gmail.com use an email address that bares your full name. It shows how serious you are for the job.
INTRODUCTION
This is just a few lines describing who you are and mostly your personal attributes and character traits. Make sure that you sell yourself well in your introduction. Make it sound like you’re the right and only candidate for the job.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
This is the section where you tell the recruiters about your education history. You give details of where you did your tertiary education, secondary and high school. You name your qualifications and the schools/ college attended to, including the years.
WORK HISTORY
This is one of the most important parts of a CV. Your work history tells a story of how responsible you are as an employee and how good you are at the job. It gives a clear picture of your experiences in the relevant fields and outside of that field if needed.You should include:the employer namethe job titlethe dates you worked therewhat you did, usually 2 to 3 lines using the STAR method
REFERENCES
Right at the bottom of your CV your include references of your work. This serves as a backing to what you would have attested above. This could be your current or previous employer, a teacher or someone respected in your community.
2 Comments