The kick-off step to your job search is developing a concise and correct CV, which briefly describes your profile and experience to your employer, while also not missing out on anything that is essential. A CV with errors or typos can lead to its rejection, even though you may be qualified for a position applied for. The following are a few tips on how to prepare a CV that earns you a job interview call.
When you start compiling your CV, it is highly recommended that you collect all your personal, academic and professional documents and keep them within an arm’s length. This will help you to confirm all the important data and figures by consulting them whenever you need, and you would be able to exhibit accurate information.
An important factor is not just to update your old CV while applying for a new position, especially if it has been a while that you hunted for a job. Rather you should tailor your CV to the requirements of the position you are applying for. Also, you should state a broad career objective, which should not be self-centred and must be in coherence with the position you are applying for.
A concise summary of your professional career should be presented in the chronological order, that is, by mentioning the most recent organization and the position held at the top. You should honestly and correctly mention the period during which you worked for your past organizations, as any misinformation may get exposed. However, it is important to fill the gaps that you may have experienced between jobs. There is nothing wrong with them, since they are a common case during this time of recession, but mentioning how you utilized the time in developing a skill related to your work, for example, can be of use.
Your CV should be achievement oriented. You should include all the essential achievements that you have made that are relevant to the job applied for. Mentioning your relevant skills is also very important. Likewise, leaving out all the irrelevant detail from your CV is as much important as it will help make your CV to the point and concise.
An important fact is not to mention unnecessary personal information that can potentially set you up in a position of bias. Although it is both unethical and illegal for employers to either select or reject on the basis of bias, but still it is not advisable to mention particulars like race, religion, age or hobbies. This is also true because such factors also have very little to do with the work you have to perform.
Most of the HR managers out-rightly reject CVs with even the slightest of errors related to spelling, grammar and formatting. Consistency errors in formatting can be as damaging. Always proofread your CV and ask a couple or more of your friends to read the CV for you. A lot of errors will be screened out during this process.
Therefore, being concise, correct, while also being highly effective in communicating what you want and what the employer look for in you is the recipe for developing a successful CV.