Hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants are currently eyeing the job that you want. Are you going to give up without a fight? Don’t give up so easily. The job market is quite competitive, and you need to be willing to get your keyboard dirty when sending job applications. If you’re up for the challenge, use these tips to make your CV stand out. But first, you will need a CV template.
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How to Make Your CV Stand Out
For some, getting the golden call from recruiters does not seem easy. And expressing themselves on their CV seems even harder. Where does one even begin? If you are one of the many people who are having a hard time when it comes to job hunting, then these tips will help make your task a little more easier. This is how you can make your CV out.
Tailor Your CV for the job
To truly stand out, you will need to tailor your CV to a specific job, company and role. You can’t send the same CV to every job post you see. It’s impersonal and recruiters will pick up on that quite easily. Even though this step can be a bit tiresome, it is rewarding when you get the golden call. Recruiters pay close attention to the details, and by doing this it will show how determined you are to get the job.
Highlight Your USP
You are the perfect candidate for the job, but how will recruiters know that? Think of yourself as a product that you are trying to sell.
- What are your strengths?
- Do you come with benefits?
- Why do recruiters need you?
- What are the unique traits you have that other candidates don’t have?
Include a Personal Statement
This is one of the first things hiring managers see when they look at a resume. It usually goes at the top of a resume, and you can use this to your advantage to truly stand out. Instead of mentioning what the company can do for you and your career, tell them what you can do for them. There are three things you need to mention in your personal statement:
- Introduce yourself
- Your experience and suitability for the job
- State your career goals
Don’t be too Wordy
Recruiters have to go through a lot of CV’s. So make sure yours isn’t too wordy and cluttered. You can achieve this by using bullet points rather than sentences. Most recruiters just want to skim through CV’s when they are looking for candidates. Make sure your sentences are short, powerful and impactful.
How to Stand out Without Experience
Everyone needs to start somewhere, and recruiters understand that. Even though most job advertisements may list experience as a requirement, you can still work your way around that.
Enrol for a Course
The best way to make up for not having any relevant experience is to show interest in the job by applying for a course. A course will not only appeal to recruiters, but it will also equip you with the relevant skills to perform your daily duties. When job hunting, distance learning will be your best bet. This allows you to go for job interviews while studying, and hopefully you will find a job and then continue your studies. The great thing about our courses is that you don’t need matric to get started.
Think Extracurricular
If you don’t have any work experience, you may use examples of other relevant work. Think of the extracurricular activities you are involved in. You may mention them and draw attention to the team work and the problem solving skills you developed while participating in them. Extracurricular activities may include the societies you have joined, as well as volunteer work.
Let Your Personality Shine
Wow them with your personality. If you can find a way to let your personality shine through your CV, do that. Some recruiters are looking for more than just people who can get the job done. They often look for people who will be a great fit for their company. Read up on their company profile, mission statement, values, and more to learn more about the people who work there. This will help you when writing your resume.
Show off Your Transferable Skills
Even though you don’t have the experience that recruiters are looking for, you can still apply for the job highlighting your transferable skills. But what exactly are transferable skills? They refer to the skills you used and built up at previous roles. Transferable skills may include customer service, information technology, research and analytical skills, and more.
How to Write a CV
Whether this is your first or twentieth time writing a CV, you can’t go wrong with researching best practices for writing CV’s. There are common things you can avoid, and vital elements you need to list to help you get that golden call.
What to Avoid
Remember that the CV is the first impression that the employer will have of you. Treat it seriously. Don’t come across as incompetent or you might not get the job. There are a few things you can avoid that might cost you the job.
- Don’t forget to include your contact information
- Avoid spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
- Don’t send an old CV
- Never include fake references
- Don’t send a copy and pasted CV
What to Include in Your CV
Now that you know what to avoid, you can move on to making a lasting impression. The first thing you should know about writing a CV is that you need to treat your job experience section as a space where you can list all your achievements. Recruiters want to know what you are capable of, and what better way to do this by showing them what you’ve accomplished in previous roles?
The Hard Truth About Soft Skills
When researching skills that are needed to do a certain job, soft skills may not always come to mind. Many people forget them altogether and just focus on technical skills. When in fact, soft skills are some of the most important skills a person can have. It shows that you are capable of doing the job, you will be a perfect member for the team, and you possess the abilities to lead a team. Add these skills to Make Your CV Stand Out:
- Communication
- Motivation
- Problem-solving
- Teamwork
- Negotiation and persuasion
- Adaptability
- Creativity
- Time Management
- Willingness to Learn
Skills Academy is the word support in every way.
Stand out From a Pool of Candidates
An impressive CV can get you a job, but having the relevant skills can help you keep it. Make sure you possess the skills that will help you perform your daily duties. Enrol for a course with Skills Academy and take advantage of all our student benefits.
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