Over the past five years, I have handled and reviewed not less than 3000 CVs. Even though I cannot claim expertise in this area just by virtue of the number of CVs I have handled, i believe that I qualify to share a few important tips to guide all of us.
1. AGE
Every employer has an age range for the prospective employee in mind when a job is advertised. In most cases, the required age wont be stated in the advert but the one recruiting knows it.
CV is everything about your personal life, professional life and training. In view of this, when writing your CV, indicate your age, it is very important. Whenever there is an age range in mind, which is almost always the case, the first basis for disqualification is the absence of age. There are times when an employer can reconsider the age requirement to accommodate an impressive applicant, if you don’t indicate your age though, you give many people little chance. There are times I try to look at the date the person completed basic school because the CV is impressive. In most cases when I do, it doesn’t go past the next stage. ‘Hiding’ your age gives the impression you are not transparent.
2. TOO MANY JOBS, NOT GOOD.
One CV I revewied had an applicant who started working in 2012 and has gone ahead to work for eight different companies. In some firms, he worked for as short as 4 months, the longest time he has worked for one company is 14 months. Such an employee is deemed unreliable and disloyal. Every employer or most employers want stability. They don’t want workers who will come today and start looking over their shoulders for pastures greener elsewhere tomorrow. In view of this, if you come across as such, you reduce your employability.
Having a long CV with so many companies doesn’t mean you are competent, it is better to have a CV that has only one previous employer with whom you’ve been with for 8 years.
If possible, when presenting a CV, omit some of the jobs, especially those that are not directly related to the one being advertised.
ONGOING COURSES.
If you are undertaking an education upgrade that won’t affect your work, don’t indicate it in your CV. In any case, ongoing courses are not part of your qualification so why include it. You are only telling the one recruiting that very soon you will start seeking permission to absent myself in the name of exams. If your ongoing courses won’t affect your job and delivery, don’t state it. If you state it, it means it will affect it. if it will affect it, we move on to safer options.
4. SEND A DOCUMENT NOT A WEB PAGE
Many people send files saved online and expert your to go to the link and read their CVs, it’s a a number one out of. Unless you are specifically instructed to do so, attack a word file. Not everyone is as sophisticated as you in terms of IT.
5. REFEREE OR REFERENCE
Indicate your referees on your CV, if possible, include a former employer. It gives an indication that you left on a good note. You cannot work in 5 companies at different times and use none as reference. Don’t say it will be made available upon request, it is suppose to be part of your CV. Some employers would do a background check before shortlisting for interviews. If information about you on your CV is inadequate, you won’t make the mark.
CONCLUSION
You see, make it easy for the person reviewing your CV to get every information needed to assess you. There are so many people looking for jobs lately that only a few will waste time on you if you make their work difficult. Be transparent, concise and accurate. The last time we placed an add in Daily Graphic, over 2000 emails were received, it’s easier moving on to the next with the least difficulty encountered.
NOTE
Nothing here is absolute, this is just from my little experience and how some of my bosses respond to these things. Some people might overlook these and still give you the job. However, you are ways better-off getting it right from the onset and making the work of the one recruiting easier.
Isaac Kyei Andoh