If you’re suddenly in need of a new job, you’re not alone. Many people around the world have found themselves in this stressful situation as a result of, you guessed it, the pandemic. Because so many people are in the same boat right now, competition in the job market has become crazier than ever. Because of this, ensuring your CV is up to scratch should be your number one priority. Here are five things your CV may be missing, that you’ll definitely want to add before sending it out!
- A professional email address. Having an email address that is based on your favourite song or a quote from your favourite movie is fun, but not when it comes to job hunting. Your email address gives the reader some insight into your professionalism, so consider changing it up before including it in your CV if this is important to you.
- The most relevant information. Your CV is not the place to shove every detail about your life. Things like your age, where you worked when you got your first job at sixteen, or whether or not you are married is completely irrelevant to them. Opt to include only the most relevant information to the position you are applying for; include things that will make the reader think you are the right person for this job before they even meet you.
- Measurable Results. Instead of just saying you worked somewhere for five years, rather let them know exactly what you achieved during your tenure. Did you help company sales? Let them know how and by how much. Did you improve their return on investment? Include that!
- Keywords, but only a few. We get it, you want to grab attention. But going too crazy with buzzwords can actually get you negative attention. Choose keywords that directly relate to what you are trying to achieve, but that sound completely natural.
- White Space. You may want to cram as much information in there as possible, but in today’s day, this is actually not preferred by recruiters. Including too much information is overwhelming to the reader, and leaves nothing to be said during an interview. Instead, make it look clean and easy to read with plenty of white space.
Now that you have the knowledge, it’s time to find your next job! Head to Head to gumtree.co.za or your Gumtree app (click for Apple & Android).
