You only have 5-10 seconds to impress and ultimately become shortlisted for your dream job. It's not necessarily the most qualified person who will be shortlisted but it's the one who stands out immediately based on their CV. This requires a combination of good content and an attractive appearance. The reality of the recruitment process shows that you need a targeted and focused CV that not only grabs attention by showing a skills match, but is also a well worded and well formatted CV to give a competitive edge in the market place.
Says Kelly Schickerling - IT Recruitment Consultant at Recruit IT Solutions: "In order to stand out from the rest, your CV should include the following information in this particular order:
- Personal Details:
This should include your name and surname, date of birth, ID number, contact details, address, nationality and drivers license.
- Education and Qualification:
The full title of your Degree and Certifications must be included, the year in which you completed your degree and names of institutions of where it was completed.
- Work Experience:
List the companies that you have worked for, including the dates. You should start with your current employer and work your way down to your previous employers. Each position must include your job title, your responsibilities in that role and the duration you stayed in that particular role. It is important that they are relevant and detailed in bullet pointed statements. You should also include your reasons for leaving each position.
- Achievement/Extra Curricular Activities:
This section highlights your achievements throughout your career. This also includes your hobbies and interests. All information should have a purpose, showing skills relevant to the role that you are applying for and saying something of interest about yourself.
- References:
Unless requested, references should not be given at the initial application stage and a simple "References available on request" will suffice."
First impressions are very important. Each section of your CV needs to be headed clearly. Once a layout and structure is decided on you should stick to it, using consistent headings as well as sub headings. You need a standard font size and type. Times New Roman or Arial size 10 is the norm but you can use bold or different size fonts to highlight important information or headings. Remember to always check your spelling and sentence construction before submitting your CV. A good idea is to print off your final copy, read through it and get a second opinion. Check that all your personal details are correct and that the presentation is pleasing to the eye.
Kelly goes on to say: "The next time you are looking for your ideal position take the time out to put together a highly qualified CV first. Go onto the internet, there are excellent websites which will give you examples of well constructed CVs. An excellent source for help too is to contact a reputable recruitment consultant. They will be more than willing to help candidates when it comes to putting your CV together and giving career advice." You don't want to be the candidate whose CV is forgotten about in five seconds. A well put together Curriculum Vitae will definitely create a long lasting impression.
Let's face it; employers know what they want when searching for candidates. Let your CV be the one that they take the time to read.
