When applying for a new job, the first and most important requirement is to write a professional CV that highlights your qualifications, skills, experiences, and professional background, and whenever there is an open vacancy, employers receive dozens of CVs and try to filter them. Therefore, you must make sure to create a unique CV that proves to the employer that you are the best fit for this job position and move to the interview phase in the shortest time.
It is worth mentioning that some recruitment institutions now rely on robotic services known as “Applicant Tracking Systems” ATS, which are programs that scan CVs of this type and analyze your data and its compatibility with the required position.
In this article, we will show you so how can you write a CV that make you stand out and make an immediate impact.
The importance of writing a professional CV
A CV is the first step in the hiring process. If you write it, format it and present it correctly, your chance of getting a job interview, and then getting the job, increases dramatically. This is because a CV helps you in the following:
1- Give a positive first impression
The CV is the first meeting between you and the person responsible for employment, so he forms his initial impression of you through the set of skills, experience and qualifications in front of him in your CV. So writing a professional CV gives you a golden opportunity to make a positive impression on him and explain why you are a good fit for the job in advance.
2- Stand out from the candidates
When applying for a new job, you will not be alone, you will find many applicants for the same job with different qualifications and competencies, and the recruiter takes a few minutes to look at each CV separately, to determine whether the CV holder will move to the next stage or will move to the rejection list . So the following resume, which showcases your best skills and experience, will make you stand out among the pile of candidates.
3- Increase your confidence
People continue to overlook their achievements and abilities until they see them in front of their eyes grouped in one place, and writing a professional CV that includes your best achievements, that would give you a sense of pride and confidence, and then you will believe in yourself and your abilities, and then begin to apply for higher jobs, and enter job interviews With more confidence, and eventually getting the job as recruiters tend to hire more confident people than others.
4- Facilitate the job interview
While many see a job interview as a difficult situation, writing a complete, professional CV without gaps will make it a fun time, because your CV will speak for you, all the information that the recruiter may need is in it. It will also help you to efficiently prepare and anticipate interview questions, in line with the points mentioned in your resume.
The most important points to be highlighted in your CV
If you want to have any chance of moving on to the job interview stage, your CV needs to grab the attention of the reader as soon as they start scanning it. When receiving hundreds of applications for a position, recruiters and hiring managers rarely have the time to filter CVs and determine whether to set up a meeting. Therefore, the following points must be taken into consideration when writing a CV:
Roles and Responsibilities
The job titles and responsibilities you list in your CV must be pertinent (if not an exact match) for the position being offered because you will need to customize it for each specific job that you apply for. Although you must define your role, it’s crucial that your CV has more information than just a rundown of your duties.
Experience
Your resume will be checked for the appropriate experience. Make sure your experience, whether it be four years in one position or six months in another, appears consistent and applicable to the position you’re applying for. Be precise about your specific contribution to any high-profile project and where you brought value to it.
Skills
Make sure to list all the related abilities you have acquired or were asked to do in previous similar job positions. These abilities and skills will support your experience and eventually prove that you are qualified for that position.
Achievements and outcomes
Hiring managers and employers prefer to see outcomes, so if you exceeded your goal as a sales manager, for instance, be sure to clarify your objectives in terms of numbers or percentages and explain how you did so.
Education and qualification
Make sure to draw attention to any job-related educational qualifications, especially if they are stated as desirable or required in the selection criteria.
Simple to read
After including all the previous details, Make sure your CV is well-organized, clear, and consistent, using only one font style (bold can be used to highlight) and bullet points rather than rambling words to list your talents, accomplishments, responsibilities, etc.
No inconsistency
Make sure your resume is organized in written in a reverse chronological order, and that none of the listed duties or responsibilities or the accomplishments you held have unexplained time gaps.
Structure and label
Make sure your CV is formatted in a way that can be opened quickly by the employer; no hiring manager wants to download software just to examine a CV. Additionally, be sure to include your name in the stored title of your CV, i.e. Smith-John-CV.
It’s now time to start looking for jobs after all that effort. Keep in mind that every job will have different requirements, therefore you must tailor your CV to the job description in order to pass the ATS. Since you now have a strong foundation to start from, this shouldn’t be too difficult. Therefore, if you don’t properly list all your relevant abilities, skills, and experience on your CV, even if you have everything needed to flourish in a position, you may face the risk of not being accepted in attending the interview and apply for the job. By following the points explained above, You can be sure that your CV will stand out and make an impression.
