Putting your best foot forward with your CV
Now that you have searched for job listings and identified roles you would like to apply for, your CV needs to be tailored to meet and pass the initial screening to get to the next stage, being shortlisted for an interview. Lets have a look at how to achieve that.
Due to the use of online based applications, there are screening questions that companies apply to filter applicants. Such questions include, but are not limited to:
Do you have X year’s experience in a specific field/skill/role?
What is your salary expectation (cost to company)?
Are you a South African citizen?
Do you have a work valid work permit or are you a permanent resident?
When can you start working with the company or how long is your notice period?
The key to submitting a successful CV is ensuring it can pass the Application Tracking System (ATS) which is a type of software used by recruiters and employers during the hiring process to collect, sort, scan, and rank the job applications they receive for their open positions. The ATS parses a resume's content into categories and then scans it for specific keywords to determine if the job application should be passed along to the recruiter. (https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/what-is-an-ats-resume). Including relevant keywords (common or significant words used specific to the job post, industry or sector) is what will help get your CV through the process. This is why it is important to identify what subject matter is relevant to the job posting, what is it that they are looking for in the potential employee. These words need to be included and clearly visible in your CV. You can make use of a keyword scanner that scans through the job description so that you can identify the important keywords to include in your CV. Looking at 3 - 5 job postings for the same job role i.e. financial services sales role that will help you identify what is common in requirements, qualifications and job responsibilities.
Structuring your CV
An ideal CV will not exceed 2 pages and will use a simple layout with minimal to no color. Use standard fonts, such as Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman with font size 11 or 12, left aligned or justified. Use bullets points to detail out information instead of long paragraphs, along with clear headings. Ensure you save your CV as a PDF to preserve the formatting of the document and also to minimise the opportunity for someone to alter your CV. Use both the long-form and acronym versions of keywords e.g. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Importantly, customise your CV for each job you are applying to, showcasing relevant skills and experience specific to each job application. Microsoft Word has a CV assistant functionality to help you set up your CV for a specific industry or job role.
You can make use of the following sections to structure your CV:
Personal details - always include you full name, contact number, professional email address, city/town and link to your LinkedIn profile. Note, do not include the following - gender, religion, age, relationship status, ID number, full home address, photo of yourself - these are personal details that could be a cause of discrimination to your application.
Joseph Sithole, 078 000 0000, josephsithole@gmail.com , Cape Town, www.linkedin.com/josephsithole
Personal statement/summary - this gives a clear outline of you within 5 sentences or less - who you are, your skills and career objectives. Consider this a mission statement that gives the reader a glimpse of you within the first few minutes and will prompt them to read further. Resources to help you write a personal statement.
How to write a personal statement
Steps in writing a perfect personal statement
Key skills and competences - this should be a list of about 5 -7 of your top skills with an outline of how you use them i.e. specific software or systems. Refrain from using generic terms such as hardworking, ambitious, team player, organizational skills etc but rather showcase how you possess all of those capabilities. Know the difference between skills and competences and how to incorporate them into your CV.
Work experience - this should always start with your most recent position first, then previous roles thereafter. You can provide 1 -2 sentences as an outline to your overall role and the work of the organisation. Thereafter you need to clearly outline your responsibilities and achievements within the role, ensuring they are quantifiable.
Education - in order of most recent education, with tertiary education being the only relevant one to include unless you are a graduate.
Certifications and further training - there are industry specific certifications you may have acquired such as Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP). These can be outlined in its own section or within key skills and competences.
Volunteering and community - impactful and meaning work you are doing to contribute to society.
Hobbies and interests - to humanise your CV or showcase your diversity through relevant activities you partake in.
Instead of telling people what you do, showcase your work in your application through a link to your portfolio or projects you work on. If you have extended your professional work to social media and teaching others through this, provide links. Do not include links to social media that are not relevant to the job you are applying for.
For graduates without work experience, you can include details regarding internships, clubs, sports and societies you are involved in. Courses you enjoy and tutoring experience should be added, detailing how you can use what you have learnt within the work environment. You can check how best to structure your CV. and use this CV template.
Once you have finalised the core details within your CV, you can make use of the following to take your CV to the next level:
Jobscan - scans your CV against the job post you want to apply for, compares keywords in the job post to your CV and provides ATS tips to enhance your CV.
Jobalytics - similar to Jobscan, but better. Add the extension to your browser for better CV analysis on the go.
VMock - scans your CV and gives clear indications of ways you can optimise your CV with key parameters.
Grammarly - check the grammar and spelling used in your CV.
Additional Resources
If you need someone to articulate your skills and experiences better, make use of a CV writer and strategic career consultant The Real CV Guru.
Build a free professional smart CV with MoveUp.
Additional CV builder sites.
CV reviewing and checking sites.
A great video summarising details to include in your CV.
Top skills companies need most in 2020 and how to learn them including soft skills.
Core competences.
Tactics for beating ATS.
