There is no easy way to make sure that nobody calls you for an interview than to have a shoddy application.
As a candidate you need to realize the growing number of candidates targeting the same job or company. Competition is way to serious and HR managers are becoming impatient with candidates who have no idea of who they are and if they know cannot put it on paper.
That’s why you need to make sure your CV and cover letter is selling you proper.
Its a pity that many Nigerian colleges do not offer this services to their graduating class because it can mean the difference between getting a job after two months or waiting for five years.
If all you have doing is making job applications and no one is calling you for an interview you need to have your CV and cover letter checked out. Talk to a close friend and let him or her give your CV & Cover letter a sincere critique. The Internet is full of advice on CV writing. And if stuck you can always seek the services of professional CV writing experts.
However, with these words of advice we will help you produce a clear and concise CV that will increase your chances of being invited for an interview.
Content
To begin, prepare a list of your key competencies and skills that your employer will be looking for. Be analytical about yourself and identify your main selling points that differentiate yourself from competitors. The most common content to be included includes:
Personal Details:
Name,
Date of Birth,
Contact Details,
Nationality
Work Permit if relevant.
Education and Qualifications:
The full title of your degree and university and any significant exam results, Secondary School and A/AS level subjects and grades. Concentrate on GCSE and beyond.
Work Experience:
List the companies that you have worked for, the dates that you worked at them and a brief description of your role. It is important that they are relevant and detailed in short, bullet-pointed statements. Make clear what your individual contribution was using positive language and include your responsibilities and achievements. Back everything up with quantifiable facts, such as size of budgets and results achieved, to make your skills tangible.
Achievements:
Think carefully about which examples you include in this section, as employers may deduce a lot from your choice about your motivations and what you regard as important. Employers are only interested in your most recent achievements.
Extra-Curricular Activities:
This section on hobbies and interests should be kept short and include information, such as, membership of and positions of responsibility in sports teams, drama societies etc. Any information should have a purpose, showing skills relevant to the role you are applying for and saying something of interest about yourself.
General Skills:
Driving licence details, courses attended, foreign languages and IT (include level of proficiency).
References:
Unless requested, references need not be given at the initial application stage and a simple "references available on request" should suffice. Employers will ask for references if and when they need them.
Good CV's are logical, clear, concise and simple with sentences including short, to the point key words and statements. It is best to leave out words, such as, 'and' and 'I' as much as you can and make each sentence as meaningful as possible. An effective CV needs to focus the readers' attention on the criteria that they are looking for, highlighting important information that can be accessed and interpreted easily. Try to match yourself with the criteria they are looking for.
You may also be asked to justify and elaborate certain statements that you have made in your CV if you are invited to an interview, so you should be honest and accurate all the way through. Be careful not to over-exaggerate, however, always remain positive! Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar are vital, as well as the overall layout and format of the CV.
Structure & Presentation
First impressions are very important! Each section needs to be headed clearly so that it is well presented, orderly and pleasing to look at, to avoid any discouragement to read on. Your skills, experience and achievements must flow in a logical manner detailing all key points. Any dates should be included where applicable and placed in reverse chronological order within each section.
Two pages is the standard length of a good CV, however, although you want to avoid adding irrelevant material that will bore the reader you do not want to miss out including valuable information or cramping all your data into a shorter CV. So, try to include at the beginning the most important skills and abilities where the reader will look first and include your name and page numbers in the header or footer of each page to avoid any confusion.
Once a layout and structure is decided on, you should stick to it using consistent headings and sub-headings as well as a standard font size and type. In general, Times New Roman or Arial and size 9/10 is the norm but the use of bold or different size fonts can highlight important information and point the reader to the relevant areas! All text should be fully justified so the paragraphs look neat and tidy and there should be a balance between text and space. Bullet points are useful to break up text, black lines can be used to emphasise headings and sometimes text can be split into two columns to look more professional, for example, in personal details.
But remember, there is no one standard layout or format for CV's and those of professionals will be very different to those of graduates. Individual tastes of both the recruiter and applicant mean no absolute design will be right and you must also remember that CV's for different job applications must vary to be tailored to their requirements. The design of your CV does not however get you an interview no matter how attractive it is; you must bear in mind that the content you put in and your selling points are paramount.
Finally
A good idea is to print off your final copy and look at it, getting a second opinion on its content and presentation. To see what looks best you should experiment with different formats as it may take several different drafts to get to the final selected one. Check that your personal details are all correct, your spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate, the presentation is pleasing to the eye, you have identified your main selling points and you have avoided any repetitions.
Best Wishes
Admin @ Ng on jobs
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HOW TO WRITE A RESUME THAT GETS INTERVIEWS
TOPIC Updated 09/12/2010
Due to high demand of people requesting for a resume copy, please click on this link, you will surely find an example of a resume that correspond to your field http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/
Ask yourself, what do “The Lord of the Rings,” “Catcher in the Rye” and your resume have in common?
If you consider them great works of fiction, then it’s time to rethink your resume.
A resume isn’t a list of exaggerations. It’s not a hodgepodge of cut and pasted job descriptions printed out on nice paper. Nor is it a forum to advertise that you’re 6 feet 2 inches tall, single, a non-smoker and willing to relocate.
Simply put, a resume is an advertisement that makes the reader act. And if your resume is well-written, the reader should want to interview you.
Get advice on how to create resumes that get interviews — right from a recruiter himself.
Keep It Simple
Recruiters want resumes that are simple to understand, especially when it comes to the skills needed to perform the job and employment history.
Be sure your resume clearly communicates that you possess the knowledge and experience needed to perform the job in question. Use the job description to tailor your resume to the position. Try to avoid industry jargon and Dilbert-esque words such as “facilitated” or “value-added” when describing your skills and experiences.
Your resume should also include your dates of employment. The absence of dates makes recruiters scrutinize your employment history even more closely.
Features Versus Benefits
Your resume should show how you can benefit an employer — not just list your features and skills.
Past performance is often an indicator of future performance. Explain how you made a past employer money, saved them money or improved a process or product.
Think about instances where you went above and beyond the call of duty. Look at past performance reviews to refresh your memory. Employers want the best employees, and your resume should reflect your value.
Truth in Advertising
People say that it’s the sizzle that sells the steak. That may be true but, when it comes to job searching, you ought to have done what you claim on your resume.
Many employers today take steps to ensure that you have the background you claim. They have a wide variety of background checking tools at their disposal.
Background checks can include:
* reference checks,
* credit checks,
* criminal background checks,
* past employment verification,
* education verification.
If you’re dishonest in the hiring process, odds are that you’ll be caught. Rather than waste the recruiter’s time — and your time — be truthful on your resume. It’s not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing.
It Takes Two
You can’t create a strong resume alone. Everyone needs help.
Don’t rely on automatic spelling and grammar checking programs. You need to find an editor you trust. If no one in your immediate circle of family or friends can help, try other resources. Yahoo! HotJobs offers valuable resume tips and advice.
Staff at your state’s employment development office may be available to review your resume. Staffing agency recruiters may also volunteer to help you. And finally, you can even take advantage of a professional resume writing service.
Writing an effective resume requires practice and feedback. But once you get the basics down, interviews are sure to follow.
Topic Updated 09/12/2010
Due to high demand of people requesting for a resume copy, please click on this link, you will surely find an example of a resume that correspond to your field http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/
Thanks for your courage,
Sample CVs 4lo dis link
