A FEW TIPS BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR CV

It is time that you swop roles – Candidate to Hiring Manager

Pull up a chair and Set your CV down in front of you.

 Pretend You are now the HR Director / Hiring Manager; of the most recent firm you have

submitted your CV to:

Remind yourself of the position you applied for – As the Hiring Manager you are expected to know the specifications in order to sift through the applicants who have submitted their details and have been shortlisted.

One of the shortlisted candidate’s details (YOU) are now up for review and discussion.

NOTE: You need to review your CV from the Hiring Manager’s perspective – be brutal!!

Remember to take note of the following:

• Do you provide satisfactory contact details? Area you reside in / email or telephone number etc.
• Do you state what you want the hiring manager to know about who you are and the skills you can contribute?
• Do your duties reflect that of the job title you are applying for?
• Are valid employment dates listed for each company?
• Are valid reasons for leaving provided for each company?
• Are at least two recent, valid references, listed?
• How you have introduced yourself? (Include the entire email message you sent with your CV when you applied for the position)

YOUR INTRODUCTION:

• Most hiring manager’s are offended at the lack of imagination and uniqueness portrayed when reading through introductions. – Is your introduction boring? Copied? written with the intent on leaving the hiring manager with the idea that you are the best candidate for the job?

90% of the introductions received, state the following:

• Honesty, hard-working, dedicated, willing to go the extra mile, team player, pays attention to detail

Does your introduction make you stand out from the rest? or does your introduction reflect one that could have been downloaded from Google?

Does it accurately portray the person you are in the workplace and your strengths and capabilities?

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPELLING AND GRAMMER:

• How can you confidently state in your introduction or list of strengths’ that you: pay attention to detail, are accurate, organized and neat, and then hand in a Curriculum Vitae with ten spelling errors on the first page alone?

Result: In a matter of one minute you have managed to contradict yourself, and ensured an automatic red flag for the Recruitment / Hiring manager reading through your details.

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY:

Is your work history listed from most recent position?

Do the duties you have listed, reflect what your KPA’s, skills and job description entailed/currently entail?

Computer literacy and any additional information is always welcome if relevant to the position you are applying for.

REMINDER:

You are presenting yourself as the “best product” on the market,

you are your own unique brand

– Don’t sell yourself short!

Written by: MN Abbott (Doncour Recruitment)