How to reduce uncertainty in the recruitment process?
Introduction:
A CV for a job displays your entire work history and details job- and industry-relevant professional accomplishments, such as publications, research, academic scholarships and grants, professional memberships, speaking engagements, and lectures or presentations you’ve given throughout your career.
- Gather Information for your CV
First, you have to prepare. Preparation is a critical part of writing a CV that stands out. Having your essential information ready will ensure you customize your CV to your desired job.
Here’s how to prepare to write a curriculum vitae effectively.
First, review the job description closely. Make a note of all the requirements and “nice-to-haves.”
Then make a list of your:
- Professional experience, including employers’ names, dates of hire, locations, job titles, and responsibilities.
- Significant accomplishments from your current and previous jobs.
- Education credentials. List all schools, their locations, years attended, and the degrees, certifications, licenses, and notable grades you received from each.
- Publications, including their titles and dates published.
- Speaking or teaching engagements, dates, topics, and locations.
- Professional affiliations and memberships, your role, and dates affiliated.
- Soft and hard skills. It’s OK if it’s a long list; you can edit it later.
- Volunteer work, including notable achievements, names of organizations, and dates you volunteered for each.
- Other unique experiences or attributes that set you apart.
- Choose a CV template to format your curriculum vitae
There is no set CV format for a job application, so you’re free to organize your professional qualifications based on your industry, job title, and the requirements for the position.
- Add your contact information at the top of your CV
- No matter how you format your CV for a job, it’s wise to place your contact information at the very top of your resume so recruiters and hiring managers know how to find you.
- Write a professional CV summary or objective statement
We recommend adding a professional summary or objective statement, often called a personal statement, on every job application CV you write because they give you the chance to show potential employers what you offer in a bite-sized summary that they can digest immediately. A professional statement on your CV can give you a competitive advantage when written well.
- Show off your relevant skills on your CV
Although placing your CV skills section directly under your summary is optional, we recommend placing it at the top of your CV template. Doing so helps potential employers find your core qualifications quickly when they scan your CV for relevance, and it is often the section that recruiters and hiring managers value most.
You can stand out by displaying five to 10 of your most job-relevant hard and soft skills on your curriculum vitae. Most potential employers value soft skills for all job titles, with 61% reporting loving them as much as hard skills. Since only 62% of CVs emphasize relevant soft skills, matching your soft skills to the job description will get you noticed.
- Add Work Experience to your CV
Work history is an essential part of any job application CV. Whether you put yours before or after your skills section is up to you, but it’s best to place it in the first quarter of your CV so potential employers can find it easily.
Recruiters and hiring managers want to know what you contributed to your current and previous employers, so they look for statements on your curriculum vitae that describe your accomplishments. Showcase yours in a bulleted list of three to five job-specific achievements for every job you list in your CV employment history section.
Studies show that 34% of hiring managers ignore CVs that do not show measurable results, so quantify your professional achievements on your curriculum vitae to make the best impression.
When you make a CV work history section, list current and past jobs in reverse-chronological order, starting with the most recent position.
In addition to accomplishments, a CV work history section must include:
- Company names
- Dates of employment
- Job title
- Make a CV education section
Like the skills and work history sections, you can present the education section of your CV in any order on your resume, depending on your experience level and field of study.
Display the name of the school or institution, the degree you earned, and the date you graduated. If you have multiple degrees or studied at more than one institution, list them in reverse chronological order, with the most recent school first. Provide your GPA if you got a 4.0 or higher, and note academic honors, awards, grants, scholarships, or fellowships.
- Create optional CV sections
Typical optional sections on a curriculum vitae include:
- Certifications
Not all professions require certificates or licenses, but if you have them, create a section on your CV and list them in reverse chronological order from the date you received them.
- Awards and Honors CV section
When writing a CV, you may add a section to emphasize the awards you have received throughout your education and career. This section should include dean’s list recognitions, academic or professional distinctions, leadership, and volunteer or community awards.
- Publications
If you have published articles, book chapters, research papers, essays, stories, or books, showcase them in a separate section of your CV — they can help you stand out!
- Awards
George Polk Award for National Reporting (2020)
Conscience-in-Media Award (2018)
Clio Awards (2016)
- Volunteer experience on a CV
Hiring managers like to see volunteer experience on a curriculum vitae because it shows you are well-rounded, community-minded, and willing to go the extra mile.
When writing a CV volunteer experience section, format it exactly like your work experience section, with the most recent experience first, your volunteer title, the name and location of the organization, and the date you volunteered.
- Proofread and revise your curriculum vitae
Whatever you do, don’t ignore this step! Studies show that approximately 77% of hiring managers reject CVs with typos or grammatical mistakes, and it would be a shame to miss out on a job if you have all the desired qualifications but misspell a word.
Proofread your CV for a job application more than once, and have a trusted friend or family member review it and make necessary revisions before sending it to a potential employer.
Bulletproof your curriculum vitae by ensuring it is formatted correctly and includes the correct information.
- Save your CV
Making a CV is about more than how you write your CV and organize its sections. A polished job application CV means you must also name your document professionally and save it in an appropriate file format.
We recommend the following formula to save your CV:
Your Name-Job title-CV-Company Name-Date
Read the job description for the best file type for your job application CV. If a file type is not requested, then doc or .docx are safe bets for your CV file type because most ATS can read Microsoft Word files, and most companies prefer them.
*PRO TIP
Put your name at the front of your CV file name because it makes it easy for hiring managers to remember you when sorting through hundreds of CVs for a job application.
To sum up
In conclusion, a CV is important because it tells employers about your skills and work experience. A CV summarises your work history, education, and qualifications, and if you write it well, a CV will help you get interviews and jobs. You’ll need to create an effective CV. Writing a CV doesn’t have to be difficult.
