The curriculum vitae is the most important document that can make or break your impression. Creating a CV that lands you a job is a very crucial first step. If it is done wisely, it may give you a potential job opportunity. But how to create a document that is both so impressive and accurate that makes employers select you out of thousands other candidates? There have been several articles written to answer this question, but candidates still feel helpless.
This article is an effort to lend you a helping hand in composing just the right CV for the targeted job. Here are the top five tips that you should follow:
1. Know your employer
Most people feel frustrated because their perfectly created resume did not work. It happens because majority applicants use the same CV for every job that they are applying for. Each company has different demands and looks for certain kinds of applicants. Studying the company website and going through their mission statement will help you understand what they are looking for. This way you will be able to do a job as good as CV writing service because these custom services providers know how to hit the raw nerve of the employer so to get attention out of several thousand.
Also, custom editing for each post will help you list first what is important for the job you are applying for — the candidates who use the same resume miss out the opportunity due to sheer laziness and negligence. For example, if the mission statement of the company states that they appreciate outgoing members who love community service, but your resume does not mention anything hinting that you love to help your community too then you have probably missed the chance. Industries want to include people who share their energy and passion. Editing your objective for each post you are applying for helps you show the same energy and interests.
2. Know the format
You read the company’s website and match their goals with yours, but you randomly throw information here and there without following a proper format, you are likely to hurt your chance of catching their eye. All CVs are created on the proper format so that employers can quickly jump to parts they like; it also helps applicants know how much information should be incorporated.
Also, try to keep the design and layout that matches your job. For example, if you are applying for a job that demands high designing skills then maybe you exhibit them while designing your resume with fun and clever layout instead of writing down that you are a good designer. And if you are applying for a job that needs to know details then stick to conventional format structure focusing on outlining all the necessary information.
3. Know the weight of each information
A resume usually begins with your personal information at the top stating name, contact number, email, and address. Do not try any verbosity in this section, state information precisely and accurately. Then comes the most important part of your document, which is an objective or profile statement or introductory statement. You can use these four to five lines to connect with your employer making them realize how suitable you are for the job. This section can help you stand out because the rest of the CV is comprised mainly of simple to the point information that may be the same as that of hundreds of other applicants. Professional CV writing services make the most of personal statement and can create just the right impression required to land you the job. Pay attention to the ad; it may reveal what the company is looking forward to which will help you come up with a unique and attractive statement.
Then comes the part where you mention your education and any other training that you have in the field. State the most recent education first and then go down the list. You should make these important steps to improve your CV. Some applicants have numerous training that may take up several pages. However, you should know which ones to exclude and which to include because not all can be relevant to the particular post.
Now you should mention your achievements, awards, distinctions, and other mention-worthy certificates that will help strengthen your case. If you were employed earlier then mention the number of times you were promoted and why it will help your employer know your strengths.
Do not forget to mention all the relevant skills you have for the post that may make you shine. For example, if you know PhotoShop or Final Cut, Pro then state the version you have used and the minimum time utilized to finish the task.
If it is the first time you are applying for the job, then you should state your hobbies and details of languages you know and if you have experience then state them in chronological order mentioning recent one first.
4. Know that your CV is error free
No matter how good your qualification is and how impressive your achievements may be but if your resume has grammatical errors, then you do not stand a chance. Leaving a single error is fatal because it reflects how clumsy you are with the most important document in your life. This is why professional CV writing services have a system where a dedicated proofreader goes through each resume to ensure it has no mistakes. Apart from grammatical errors make sure that you leave no flaws in format too. Ensure that all the headings have the same font and size with equal line spacing. If necessary make someone else go through your curriculum vitae so that they should help you rectify the remaining errors.
5. Know your references
All job applications require referees; however, you should not readily provide the list of all possible references stating the details of their contact in your resume unless the employer has already asked for it. Do mention it under the heading that your references will be furnished upon request. Also, most companies believe that it is bad manners just to publish your privileged referee’s contact details readily. This too will not happen if you pay attention to the ad for the post you are applying for, if it says provide reference then do otherwise save it for the later.
Additional Tips
- Stick to the chosen format it will help you prepare a smooth, clean document
- Avoid mentioning irrelevant details whether they are educational or professional
- Use A4 paper for printing, use MS Word and Adobe PDF for creating e copies. Avoid using software that is less popular because your employer may not have it and will not be able to open the document.
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