When writing your resume, it’s easy to make big mistakes. Here are some tips on how best to avoid them.
Think of him as the gatekeeper between you and getting that first interview to land the job of your dreams. Your CV – and the accompanying cover letter – are essential in showing who you are and why this business needs you.
Here are the mistakes you should avoid and how to stand out in a crowd.
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THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Do something different and show how unique you are, said Michael Carter, director of Opus Talent Solutions.
“I’ve seen CVs being gamified, where you become a character and have to unlock aspects of the CV – I’ve seen presentations videotaped as a CV and seen PowerPoints with awesome graphics as a CV. CV, all of those were really awesome, ”he said.
“But, for your normal standard copy of a CV, I would suggest tailoring it to the role.
“People these days are short on the time and often lacking attention to detail to spot a good candidate when scanning multiple resumes, so it’s your job to point it out to them.
“In my experience, people are looking for specialists, not generalists.
“While you may think your additional experience makes you more valuable, listing that experience that is not relevant to this business will dilute the things that are relevant. “
PUT PASSION IN IT
Your cover letter should include the job you’re applying for and a summary of your career so far – but try to put some emotion in it, Carter suggested.
“For example:“ I have been a software engineer for five years, it has become my passion. I learned from amazing tutors and now hope to pass my knowledge on to others, ”he said.
“Talk about something to do with your job that you are proud of, relate your experience to the position and why you would be a perfect fit and talk about your enthusiasm to meet them in person. “
TALK BEFORE SENDING
“The best way to stand out is to first try and speak to the person posting the ad,” he said.
“Remember that not all hiring managers are ad writing experts and most of the time HR will not be directly affected by the job, so their ability to convey the nuances of the job. post may be limited.
“The more information you have, the better you can adapt your CV to the position.
“This will give you a competitive advantage over other applicants and show great initiative from the start, while also putting you first when reviewing applications.” “
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He suggested using LinkedIn to find common ground with the potential employer.
“It would be nice to add the current hiring manager and other staff on LinkedIn and show that you’ve done some personal research… and if possible, use it in your cover letter,” he said. he declares.
“You might say, ‘I’ve researched some staff on LinkedIn and seen you like to promote from the inside rather than hire from the outside, which I really admire.’
“Hiring managers don’t always look for the best qualified candidates, most of the time they’re looking for someone to work with eight hours a day.
ABANDON THE FREE TEMPLATE
There isn’t a perfect resume style, according to Linda Jeffrey, National Vice President of the Career Development Association of Australia, but there are an awful lot of bad ones.
“People who don’t know how to create a resume often search online and find a free template to use or even pay for a complicated template,” she said.
“Unfortunately, the models are very generic and therefore not suitable in many cases to allow the best presentation of individual work history, skills and experience.
“A simple and logical CV, with clear headers and an easy to read font – like Calibri, Arial or Helvetica size 10/11 – is not difficult to create and is the best way to introduce yourself to employers and recruiters.
“Recruiting is all about knocking out applicants to reach a small group that will be offered an interview, so if your application resume is complicated, it may very well be put on the knocked out pile fairly quickly. “
STAND OUT, COVER TO COVER
Read the advertisement and application guidelines carefully before writing a cover letter, as the requirements can be quite varied.
“For example, there may be page or word limits, you may be asked to answer targeted questions or selection criteria, or describe why you are the best person for the job,” he said. she declared.
“You have to adapt the wording and language to those used in the advertisement and the role description.
“You have to do this because… online application documents are uploaded to applicant tracking systems.
“Recruiters will perform word or phrase searches in the uploaded data to sort candidates from best to worst.
“Only the best matches will in fact be chosen for further consideration, so if you do not reflect the language of the advertisement in your application materials, your application may be rejected as a bad match without a human being in it. looked.”
GAPS IN YOUR CV? NEVER SCARED
Labor gaps can be a problem – but it’s less of a problem than it used to be, said Jeffrey.
“A lot of people are now working on a contract or project basis, so shortcomings in CVs are quite common,” she said.
“Focus on what you have to offer… and be realistic – if you haven’t worked for several years, you probably need to upgrade.
“Search current job openings to see what employers are asking for in your chosen field before signing up for additional training.
“Even if you have started but not yet completed training, you can include it as an ongoing study or training on your CV. “
And if you need additional help or advice, it’s worth investing in the advice of a professional advisor.
“People have diverse and individual support needs at all stages of their working lives and are usually unaware that there is help available,” she said.
“It’s a very small investment compared to the ongoing benefits of getting a job you value. ”
