Jobs interview Tips:
- Always express your skills and qualities in the present tense – even if you have an accounting qualification that you are not using at the moment, this is still a relevant certification to list.
- Reinforce positive skills and qualities to make sure they jump off the page. Example: If one of your strong points is that you are a skilled communicator, enhance this point by giving an example of when you have demonstrated this ability.
- Make sure your content is clear and simple to read.
Effective CV’s are chronological
Pay attention to how your resume is ordered – your most recent experience should always be at the top of your resume so that hiring managers and recruitment consultants can easily gauge what you have been working on most recently.
In general, the best rules to follow are:
- Chronologically list experience in reverse date order, with your most recent role first.
- Present your career history as a series of appointments with the day to day responsibilities listed, as well as achievement against each bullet point.
- Allocate more space for your more recent positions, since these are where your most current experience and achievements is usually found.
The dos and don’ts of writing a good CV:
DO:
- List your professional and higher education qualifications
- Show recent vocational training
- Include genuine foreign language skills
- Add a note of any publications you have been featured in and/or external positions you hold
- Ask someone independent to look at your resume when you have completed it – not a friend or family member – so that you can get an unbiased opinion on its efficacy.
- Be prepared to refine your resume a number of times until it is right
- Where possible, update your CV for each new job application to match the specific requirements of each role you are applying for.
DON’T:
- List every training course you have ever attended
- Indicate race, nationality, marital status, children, religion or political preferences
- Indicate your computer skills
- Include your present salary details
- Give references
Read also: How to achieve goals in your jobs