There are too many experts telling us what to do and not do with our CV. Most of us become quite brainwashed or too afraid to use our own common sense in deciding what to do for improving our CV.
If you have work experience then you have a great and valuable asset that can be of benefit to your future employer. Your CV has to make others see this fact.
So keep the following points in mind to create an effective CV.
1) The Resume Summary is crucial.
What is a summary? Right on top of the CV there has to be a summary. A summary is a brief headline on who you are, what you are good at and why you can be good at a certain type of job in your field. The purpose of a summary is to help the person who views your resume to connect with you.
It helps the viewer spot the relevant. For Eg. Civil Engineer with 14 years of experience in heading projects for developing residential townships. Eg. Sales Executive with experience in business development in projects and channel sales development in the paint industry
Most people make the mistake of treating a resume summary as a platform for emphasis, delivery, advertising and selling oneself. The purpose is different. It is a psychological angle. You have to be subtle and tempt them to read your CV.
What is it aimed to do? It has to lead the person viewing it in a direction. It must show why you are a good choice.
This is what a summary should be. A summary should be a brief. Never more than 3 to 4 points that state who you are, at what level you are and a few points on what you have contributed in your trade, profession or industry. But this is not a place for bragging. It must be factual.
# It must have a single focus which is directed to the post you are applying for. If you have done different things that you are good at or have good experience in different fields the person reading it will either get confused or not be able to connect with it. It must show your suitability and relevance for a post and must have a single focus or specialization.
2) Focus on your expertise.
What does expertise mean? Expertise is about what you have acquired during your working with various organizations. You have worked at a profession and acquired skills and you have become good at doing certain things that have added value to the company, that is your expertise.
Every company is looking for expertise, the value you can bring to the job and the company. A successful CV communicates your expertise, what you can offer to the company as a professional.
#To communicate your expertise.
1. Be specific about your work function, and what you have done in the companies you have worked in.
2. Communicate exactly what you implemented that benefited the operations, service, sales or whatever you were /are handling.
3) Highlight your achievements
Most professionals find it difficult to define their achievements. But everyone has achievements that come as a natural course of doing a job well. Remember if you did not do the job well the company would have sacked you.
You have to define your own achievements. This is because even when you do the routine aspects of your job well like being accurate in maintaining books of accounts, routine preventive maintenance of machinery or handling the administration of an office where all systems are in place or working as a security guard at a bank with a gun and never ever getting a chance to shoot the bad guys- You are still doing a job well but in your mind you do not define it as such.
Many of your achievements do not find a place in the resume because job seekers think that an achievement is only about doing something great for which you are recognized and for which you get appreciation or awards. So add whatever you have implemented in your routine job functions as well, which have benefited the company
#Your bragging rights are yours in your CV. But be sure to explain the achievement in a factual manner.
4) Show your work experience with precision.
Most job seekers believe that a CV must be a historical record about themselves. They tend to describe what they have done in each of the companies that they have worked in. This often results in a lot of reading material without a sharp focus and expertise tends to get lost as hidden data in all that reading material.
Job descriptions tend to be common for a profession so you do not need to spell it out in great detail. Avoid lengthy descriptions about your roles and keep it short and factual. Work experience has to be well presented for each company.
#Remember that it is important to change the content of your job description for each of the companies you have worked for. You have to show different angles. Never give a common list of functions applying to all the companies you worked in.
5) Be factual and crisp about your information.
Avoid giving boring descriptions. Give facts and figures instead. Many jobseekers feel that using flowery or emphatic verbs show that you are dynamic. A person who is trying to get to the point of finding your expertise through the shortest possible route is not going to be impressed with verbosity.
Hiring managers and placement consultants are experienced in handling massive volumes of CVs at the screening level. They are experts in giving a quick reading with a sharp focus on looking out for expertise that connects to what they need. So your CV must direct them to information that will show them why you are good at your job so that they can take a decision on you being a good choice.
#Crisp, short and precise sentences are easy to understand, so focus on keeping it simple while showing your expertise.
A resume well laid out in design makes reading easy. This is a very important factor because it makes the recruiters’ job easier.
Remember a good CV will be as good as how accurately and effectively you can show why you are a good choice. The job market is a competitive place. You may be extremely good at your job or have wonderful achievements but your CV must communicate this to others to be effective. =======================================================A majority of professionals who are very good at their jobs do not express it effectively or clearly! To know if your CV is effective and highlights your skills and expertise, send it for a FREE evaluation and feedback to : limasehgal@gmail.com