There is no doubt that the labour market is frequently demanding human resource to help keep the economy thriving, and response to this demand annually is often very high–as supply is seen as nearly outstripping demand….a well-known fact in the country and an almost disconcerting situation to prospective jobseekers. However, to remain focused and target-driven, job hunters may want to begin by putting little faith in the popular belief that ‘you can only get a great job if you have the connections’: it’s not often true, by the way. Instead, bear in mind that it is your CV that usually speaks volumes for you in the end. And because it’s a whole new employment market out there, your CV must do a lot more than just being a summary document of your educational qualifications, work experience, etc. It should be interview-catching. Employers may just be looking to be wowed!. Constructing a good CV (e.g., from getting the keywords; objectives, qualifications and work history, referees, to even the appropriate font size, right) is an important and good start, to make it even better, an extra step may be worth taking: CUSTOMIZING YOUR CV.
With a lot of shrinking time on everyone’s hands, a straight-to-the-point but well detailed CV and cover letter, can be the surest way to getting you that interview and new job you’ve been longing for….and might just save employers’ reviewing time (as they are saddled with thousands of other CVs and not just yours).
By ‘ customizing your CV’, what do I mean?.
It simply means, you must structure and write your CV specifically for the job you are after. A ‘one-CV-fits-all’ approach doesn’t really cut it anymore.
How do you begin customizing? First, you should read carefully and study critically the job description/qualities, skills or knowledge required (if stated) for the post you are interested in applying for. Take particular interest in the words and phrases used by the recruiting company (employer) to describe the position. Then, look at your career objective; education, qualifications, work accomplishments and experience, and pick out which of these achievements can honestly be described using the same words which the employer had used to describe the position. Use those words to then describe yourself in the CV, you may even want to include the exact job title of the position you are seeking under your career objective(which in some cases is at the top of the page). Figure out what credentials (i.e., experience and/or qualifications) are of highest importance to the employer and put those ones first—this way, employers will easily see the credentials they care about or are after. If your past job titles do not exactly relate to the job in question, rephrase them in layman’s terms, in a way that shows how those past jobs qualify you for this new job.
Does this mean I’ll have to have a new CV for every new job?
Do not be alarmed. Though it may seem that you’ll have to, most of your CVs may still remain unchanged. Nonetheless, here’s an easy way out: browse or search for the job(s) from your local media source(s) a day or days before you intend to post CV, this will give you time to consider, intently, the job(s) description. Remembering to retain the original copy, begin to make the necessary modification(s) to the CV. Read it and make certain it is in sync with the contents of your original CV….only now better. As you get used to doing this, you may find that customizing your CV will come with ease. The aim is to get an effective and functional CV out there in the market!
Margaret E.
Reference to Karen Burns, writer: ‘ The Worst Mistake You Can Make On Your Resume.’
