over 5 years ago
Dreaming of that new job opportunity for 2019? Are you CV ready?
Here are the best practices to pull together the CV you need for your new career in 2019
Whether you are actively looking for new horizons or not, it is always good to be prepared as the job market is more and more unpredictable, so without haste, get ready to write your life-changing document.
First: 7 seconds count: Recruiters and employers only need on average 7 seconds to know whether or not your CV will be right to be considered for potential positions. 7 seconds is all you have to make that difference between potential yes and a no-no
In his new book, named The 7 second CV: How to land the interview, James Reed shares with you his advice to make your CV stand out.
By giving frank advise and various templates guidelines.
Good news, at TRP Recruitment, we had a look at it, and we are willing to share with you how to do your CV.
1. The devil is in the details
You have probably heard someone telling you, attention to detail can make the difference between success and failure. When it is about your CV, this is the same. Your layout and visual will be the first thing to be seen, so do not pass over your spelling and grammar. If you feel you can't see the mistakes yourself, get a friend to check your CV.
2. Be 2.0
Did you know a quarter of recruiters and hiring managers are using an applicant tracking system? If you don't even know what an applicant-tracking system is, let me help you with that. To make their initial selection, recruiters and hiring Managers use software that analyses CV using keywords recognition.
What to learn from it? First, your font matters: Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri and Verdana are deemed to be the best. Keep in mind that you need to make the reader's life easy by making your CV easy to read.
Second, your CV needs to be digital-proof: Not too many visuals, not too much information, not a too heavy document and information need to be easy to pick up. Keep it concise and never go beyond a double-sided A4 page or 2 single pages.
"A job is a problem to be solved so when we send our CV we need to be presenting ourselves as the solution to a particular problem." James Reed
3. Show yourself
When reading your CV, recruiters are looking for indications of a person's character as well as relevant work experience. Being concise does not mean being flat and dull. James Reed tells us in his book that 97% of employers say mindset is their priority but not many applicants pay attention to how they come over as a person.
Your CV is your space to make yourself shine and have your time of glory: Do not undersell yourself.
If you think your work experience is not relevant enough think of activities such as volunteering, sports coaching or leading position you did outside of work which could be transferable skills to enhance and strengthen your CV.
4. The most relevant the better
Be logical when it comes to listing your work experience. If you are looking for your first position, the skills you developed while organising something at school or competitions you won are relevant and will demonstrate skills and a can-do attitude. However, if you are 40, you probably have better experience to highlight.
5. Thou Shalt Not Tell Lies
One of the things you hear the most is not to leave unexplained gaps on your CV, resist the urge to fill gaps with lies.
"The worst thing you can do is lie" says Reed, "It wrecks your integrity".
If you have been out of the industry for personal or family reasons, take the time to let employers know. They will respect you more this way.
6. Make them feel they are the one
It might seem easier to have a CV ready to be sent to as many job advert as possible, but it won't be the easiest way to find your dream job.
Each employer should feel that their job is THE one you really want to do.
Tailoring a CV specifically for one job advert might take you more time but keep in mind that 20 minutes of adapting your CV will never be as long as months of job hunting.
It is now time for you to put all those information together and to apply for your next job HERE