I have a CV. You have a CV. She has a CV. Everyone has a CV. I dropped it. You dropped it. She dropped it. Everyone dropped it. But only one wins the job. Who is he? You might call him a lucky person. But he is SMART.
He knows the way to write a professional CV. He knows the art of writing a cover letter. He knows the art of tailoring a CV to the desired job. And he knows how to send it at the right time.
Do you know these things?
No?
So, you’re also missing the chance to secure your dream job in the first impression. Apparently, you are doing your part. You are dropping your CV everywhere. But still, if you are not getting the call then you are missing something. That is how important a CV is. But in Pakistan, we neglect this most important document of our life. You might think it is not important for us but the success of your career depends on this one document.
Importance
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is an important document that speaks about your career summary, experience, strengths, and your future goals. With this document in hand, an employer can decide in a few seconds whether you’re worth their company or not. Starting from your contact details to a brief introduction about yourself, the HR manager can decide if he should spend more time on your CV or not.
So, it is not right to miss this opportunity with a regular CV that you drop everywhere. It’s important because your career depends on it. And with it, a cover letter and LinkedIn are also important. In Pakistan, where the unemployment ratio is usually higher than normal, it is not right to miss the first and last chance because of an unprofessional and untailored CV.
What you should include in your professional CV
Include Contact Details on the Top
If the employer wants to contact you, he won’t waste his time finding the contact details on your CV. Your contact details should be mentioned on top of your CV that includes your contact number, email, location, and LinkedIn id.
Including a LinkedIn, id gives a professional impression that you are also active on the professional forum and open to receiving job offers from there.
Secondly, your email should be in your name. It should not have your nickname. It spoils the credibility of your career. So, if you do not have one, try creating one with your name.
Give a Brief Introduction about Yourself
You are introducing yourself to the employer with your CV. If you do it without a career summary, they won’t get to know you. So, if you are a fresh graduate or an experienced professional, always try to introduce yourself in a short brief.
The brief should not exceed more than 4 lines. It should include your relevant field, years of experience, your strengths or any career accomplishments you hold. Write it professionally. If you do not know how to write a compelling career summary, you can take help from professional CV writing companies in Pakistan. They would happily help you with this.
Keep it Short
A recruiter receives CVs in a count of 100 and more. Do you think they have the time to spend 5 to 10 minutes on a CV? They only scan it at a glance and decide whether to take it ahead or not. If you are dropping a 3-page CV that includes everything about your career then you should not. You can tailor it according to the job you are applying for.
It is best not to exceed more than 2 pages. If there are some of your publications, career achievements, recognition or rewards, you can try to compile in two pages listing the necessary ones only. But it provides your all information and it takes more than 2 pages then you can go for it but make sure not to introduce too many details in your CV.
Don’t Expand your Complete Job Roles & Responsibilities
A lot of CVs cover every basic responsibility associated with the organization. If they have worked in 3 or 4 organizations then you see the CV filled with a lot of job roles. It looks like a mess. And recruiters don’t read it completely. Then what’s the point of adding everything from start to end?
It is best only to add 3-4 major rob roles that also include numbers. For example:
- Leading a team of 10+ members where my job roles include…
- Making a revenue of $100 million…
- Working alongside managers and senior leaders and making a key role in decision-making
These job responsibilities give the officials a reason to consider your profile because everyone believes results. And it sounds impressive as well.
Make the Use of Symbols
Would you consider a template that’s loaded with content, has no white spaces, and doesn’t highlight your achievements? It is a CV, not an essay or a thesis. It is wise to use symbols where necessary. For example, education, location, phone, and email symbols add to the look of your CV, make it less content-driven, and also give a clean impression.
So, try to look for the words that can best explain through symbols. Use that instead. You can find them easily on MS Word. Leaving you with these 5 golden tips to make your CV outstanding from others. I will share more in the future. For now, I just want you to work on your CV so you can land the role you always dreamt of. Good Luck!