“I am. Two of the most powerful words; for what you put after them shapes your reality.”
You are about to begin a new adventure, the journey to find your ideal job and for this to be effective and efficient you need to start preparing your Curriculum Vitae (CV). Preparing your resume is not a one-time experience because you will have to keep tailoring it. We provide you with the initial steps to get a head-start on that never-ending preparation.
1. Write a powerful personal statement
This is the first part of your CV that a recruiter will look at. Write a 150 to 200 words elevator pitch which explains why you are the right person for the job.
2. Always tailor your CV
Take the time to tailor your resume to the role which you are applying for. Pay particular attention to your personal statement and work history as you keep updating them. We will explain more about this later in the blog.
3. Avoid using clichés
Clichés and overused phrases such as ‘results-driven’ can downplay your skills and experience. Clichés can include things such as catchphrases or irrelevant quotes.
4. Use action verbs
Instead, use action verbs such as ‘executed’, ‘awarded’ or ‘motivated’. These will help provide evidence of your experience and skills.
5. Go digital
Similarly, add links to your work, such as portfolio, website, blogs, wherever applicable. Also, remember to include links to relevant social profiles such as LinkedIn.
6. Correct errors and mistakes
Check, and double-check your CV for spelling, grammatical and formatting mistakes. Also, ensure consistency throughout in terms of tone, font, and format. Make sure your resume flows and tells a story – your life story.
Once your basic CV is ready, with a bit of help from our side, you can start tailoring it. This process will allow recruiters and hiring managers to connect the dots of proving you are an experienced professional within the specific and/or general field. It shows you are the perfect fit for the role and organisation.
To begin with, tailor your resume to match the tone, skills, and keywords from the job description. Mirroring the language and buzzwords found on the job description is the easiest way to prove you are a better match. Also, adapt the language to your potential company. Research the company’s website and follow them on social media as well. This will keep you updated about the potential employer and might also give you inspirations about what they are looking for and what they want from their candidate.
Now move your focus to the skills and work experience section. Pay special attention to the skills mentioned first or multiple times on the job post/job description, note them down and make sure to add it prominently in your CV and emphasize as well. In your work experience section, start each new job entry with skills and qualifications that are required for the job you are applying for, even if they were not the most important part of your previous professional responsibilities.
Your resume is the documented representation of yourself in an interview. Make sure it stands out from other candidates by customising it to the specific jobs you are applying for. Alter your CV in such a way that it speaks volumes about you without you being there physically. That is the story your resume should be adapted to say. Add, emphasize, deemphasize; mould your CV but do not embellish it. Never lie just to match the job description.
If manually tailoring your CV seems like a lot of hard work and looks daunting, then there are certain tools that might expedite this process. For example. Jobscan specializes in tools that speed up this updating process. Similarly, with Power Edit, the most important skills and keywords missing from your resume keeps updating as you work. All you have to do is upload your resume, paste in the job description, follow the keyword and formatting suggestions, and then export your adapted CV.
Now, that you have the time, tips, and tools, why not tailor yours to make it exceptional to stand out among others.
ABL Recruitment
