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The CV is the initial selling point that will be reviewed by a prospective employer or recruiter. It is therefore important to ensure it is structured correctly and clearly to enable prospective employers to relate and extract information from the document. This will ensure that the resume attracts and generates interest. The content should be easy to read, precise and structured consistently.
The following details outline the order and relevant aspects of a successful CV.
Personal Details
- Full name
- Address
- Contact information (including telephone numbers and an email address)
NB: There is no requirement to include information about your age, marital/parental status or religion.
Education Qualifications
Listed in chronological order, this should include the name and location of the educational institution and dates of attendance. Qualifications and grades should be listed accordingly.
Professional Qualifications
Listed once more in chronological order, professional affiliations should be detailed along with dates of qualifying. The naming of the issuing bodies and institutions will also be required as employers look for certain qualification standards.
Languages
Potential employers are only interested in language skill sets that include the ability to read, write and speak fluently. In this market, the normal requirements are fluency in English, however if you have additional languages they could also be noted.
IT Skills
This should be a short and concise list of IT literacy including exposure to standard IT packages as well as specialised programs and ERP systems
Employment History
Internships and employment should once again be highlighted in chronological order indicating specific employment periods and should include the employer’s name, position held and location of the role. The content of this section should include an outline and brief description of job responsibilities, positioning within the business structure, reporting lines and management activities. As a subsection, an indication of achievements (i.e. promotion, positive reviews or projects) will provide a general overview of your accomplishments; this allows prospective employers to assess suitability and will position the CV favourably.
Personal Interests
A well rounded CV including personal interests is something that employers look for as they seek to employ people that are proactive and a cultural fit for their corporate environment.
General Information
It is important to ensure your CV is presentable, well organised and consistent, this relates to anything from font style to text size and ensuring new headings and titles are bolded or underlined as necessary. It is recommended candidates steer away from using too many distinguishing text varieties to enhance certain aspects of the CV. In most cases the less complex design and format will prove more effective.
Ten Resume Tips
- Eliminate typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Ask someone you trust to proof read your CV.
- Make a good first impression. You have a limited amount of initial interest time, use it wisely.
- Keep it brief. Few people have time to read a 20-page resume, be efficient with your information. A six page resume is often sufficient.
- Focus your resume on your most recent experience, keep it brief for anything over 10-15 years.
- Quantify experience and achievements with facts and figures to show how you performed against specific targets, timelines or KPI's.
- Give the employer a chance to see your written communication skills in terms of being organised, logical and concise
- Use simple language; do not try to impress employers with elaborate vocabulary.
- Be honest, nothing turns an interview sour more quickly than the uncovering of exaggeration or the stretching of the truth on resumes.
- Be balanced, neat and structured. Make it easy on and appealing to the eye.
- This is your opportunity to sell yourself. Emphasise previous wins, promotions and rare skill sets, make yourself very difficult to disregard.
Covering Letter and Candidate Profile
In conjunction with CV applications, covering letters and a brief candidate profile act as an effective introductory tool whereby candidates can outline their suitability for a specific role. This should be kept short and precise; anything away from this will detract from the CV and candidature.
References and Referees
Employers and Recruitment Consultants attach a significant degree of importance to impartial testimonials from previous employers and people who know candidates well. This assists in further strengthening their understanding of the candidate and further assessing the suitability of the individual for the role and the organisational culture fit.
Compile a list of three referees, include their name, position, telephone number and indicate what your association or relationship is. Inform your referees of the particular position you have applied for and its requirements and let them know that someone will be contacting them to gain a reference
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