Effective CV Writing: The First Step in Landing that Dream Job.

We go to the university to study, graduate, get our degrees and jump into the job market to find our dream job. We leave excited that there will be no more lectures, assignments, tasking research projects and difficult exams to ruin our day. But after years of knowledge gathering and studying, we tend to forget about the first and most crucial step in landing a job; writing a good CV.

As a person working in HR, I have screened hundreds of CVs written by various professionals and graduates. It surprises me to see an experienced working class who cannot create a decent account of their academic and professional life in a CV. You can spend minutes and sometimes even hours understanding what someone is trying to tell you on their CV. From different fonts on the same page, multiple font colours, uneven spacing between lines, small and unreadable fonts, informal and designer fonts in a formal CV, excessive information overload…etc. You would not enjoy reading a book or a newspaper that is not arranged correctly, and a CV is no exception. Some CVs get thrown away at first glance, while others grab your attention.

Well, I understand that nobody is perfect. Still, we can safely assume that a working professional or a job seeker who can take their time to groom themselves and dress appropriately for an interview or meeting could put in the same effort in writing and preparing their CV.

What is a CV? CV, as we all know, stands for Curriculum Vitae, which summarizes all your skills, qualifications and career experience in simple documentation. It is your professional Identity Card (ID Card), as I would like to call it. I call it an ID Card because that is the first thing that introduces you to the recruiting manager. You can liken it to the passport you present at the airport or your driving license you submit to the police officer who pulls you over. You cannot send a standard ID Card when applying for a job; instead, you send a CV. Hence, the reason why I call a CV a professional ID Card.

In writing a good CV, you should do some basic things.

Firstly, provide a means through which the hiring manager can contact you. You must include an active mobile number, a working email address, a link to your LinkedIn profile (if you have one) and your address. Do not give your full details address but only indicate the general location of your residence. You are not expecting the hiring manager to visit whiles you are at home, so there is no need to give your exact address. You can provide only the name of your locality and the general area where your locality is situated. The general area could even be a country that helps with international job applications.

For example, if you live in Legon or London, you can put “Legon, Accra” or “London, England.” Do not provide your exact address like this; “House No. 24, Legon Main Street, P.O. Box 1234, Legon, Accra.”

It becomes stressful for hiring managers when they try to contact applicants whose contact numbers or emails are inactive or invalid.

The next thing to consider is your profile summary or professional summary. This brief statement describes who you are, your skills and your experiences. It should be at most 3 to 5 lines and be kept concise. It gives the hiring manager an idea of your profile before they delve into your CV details.

Grammar, tenses and spelling are essential to pay attention to when writing your CV. You do not want to put off your future employer because of a spelling error or improper use of tense. The tenses focus mainly on your work history. For past roles, the tenses should relate to the past, while current jobs should be present. It is crucial not to write your CV in the third person, especially when describing your work duties and experiences. All actions or assignments performed should be written in the first person to show the hiring manager that you and not somebody else performed all the tasks described.

One thing to note when describing your duties is using action words such as implemented, initiated, enforced, designed, led…etc. It sends your employer a message that you are a doer, proactive and can be counted on when needed. Do not forget to include your successes from your work history. Let the hiring manager know that you are not only good at doing things but also good at getting work done successfully.

It is said that all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. No matter what hobbies or interests takes your time during off-work hours, do not be shy to list them. Let them know you also have a personality outside of work, someone they can relate to outside and not only in the office. Languages can also be an advantage when included in your CV, especially when the role requires a bilingual or multilingual individual. If you can speak and write in hundred languages, state them!

Aside from your educational qualifications and work history, do not hesitate to include any extracurricular work you have engaged in. Maybe you are the president of a college student club, a school quiz winner, or part of the winning debate team; be sure to mention them. It will give your CV more points. Your work history and education should be in reverse chronological order, from the most recent to the oldest. Other professional training, seminars, courses, and certifications relevant to the position you are applying for should be included in your CV.

Why shoot yourself in the foot by not including details that could give you a competitive edge, right?

Your skills are very vital in differentiating you from other applicants. We have hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills help you tackle specific job duties, and soft skills allow you to interact and relate well with people. If you are good with IT or clear software, laws, sales, and other industry knowledge, be sure to include them. If you possess leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, do well to list them.

Finally, the organization of your CV is vital. Imagine being the most qualified candidate but with the most disorganized CV; that will hit you in the feels. Your font size, type, and line spacing should be consistent throughout the CV. If you intend to use colours in your CV, use only dark colours and not more than two different colours. You do not want your CV to look like a job flyer. For example, if you choose 12 as your font size, keep it consistent throughout the CV, except if you want to make your headings larger to make them stand out. If you select 1.0 as your line spacing, maintain it throughout your CV. Please do not use a tiny font size, which would force the hiring manager to squint their eyes. The appropriate font sizes for CVs are usually 11 or 12.

Getting that dream job is important but paying attention to the first step in landing that first interview is even more critical. Many articles and video tutorials can teach you how to prepare a good CV. Please take advantage of these resources and be ahead of the employment curve.

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By: Romeo Owuodihia, The CV Writer.