How to write an attractive CV: Advice from the noon Talent team

One of the founding goals of noon is to support Middle Eastern talent, especially young, upcoming graduates. Through activities, mentorship, and hands-on experience, our educational program, noon NEXT, has been designed to support this goal.

In 2021, noon.com received over 2 million applications and had 7 million Linkedin views on our available positions. On International Education Day, January 24th, our Talent Acquisition team hosted a live noon NEXT session focusing on how to create an appealing CV for employers for recent graduates and people just starting out in their careers.

Hundreds of people participated in real-time, asking pertinent questions and sharing personal experiences. To make things even easier, we've put together this article that includes all of the dos and don'ts that Sophie and Dalia discussed during the session. We hope you find it beneficial!

Reflection

Find a quiet place where you can reflect on your personal and professional accomplishments throughout your career before you begin writing a CV. Taking this time to reflect is critical to capturing everything that makes you unique. This could be divided into the following categories:

• Personal accomplishments
• Professional accomplishments
• Academic achievements
• Outlining the job scope for each role or internship you've held

Aspirations

What direction do you want your career to take in the next 2-3 years? What will those stepping stones look like to get you there? What types of businesses will provide you with such learning opportunities?

By forcing yourself to think about this, you'll be able to specify on your CV what roles you're interested in. This is a great exercise for new graduates or new professionals. It's difficult to write a CV without experience, but it's important to have a clear direction and path in mind. This will help you stand out from the crowd.

After you've sketched everything, you can start writing your CV.

Crafting a killer CV?

Top tip: use templates available to you! If you have a Macbook, the Pages app has some great CV templates listed under ‘Resumes’. There are many to choose from, including classic templates, business templates, and informal templates. We recommend that you select the template that is appropriate for the role you are applying for and the type of role. If you are applying for a creative/graphic role, make sure you highlight your graphic skills in your CV to help you stand out.

Personal information

Make sure your header includes your full name, phone number, and professional email address (not [email protected] for example). Include a link to your LinkedIn profile, a blog, or a portfolio of your previous work, too.

Personal statement

Write a brief introduction of yourself. You should mention your personal characteristics as well as your career goals. Keep in mind that this is your elevator pitch , so make it sound like one.

Keep it succinct and to the point. It shouldn’t be more than two to three sentences.

Internships/jobs

Your scope and responsibilities should be described in 4-5 bullet points, followed by a summary of your important achievements. Many CVs omit important achievements that can help you stand out from the crowd. Your accomplishments should be accurate, and you should be able to explain them in an interview, highlighting the overall impact you had on a team or the organization.

Double-check the company name, dates of employment, and location. Include a company overview because not all recruiters know the name.

If you were promoted in a role, demonstrate that transition rather than simply grouping your roles and responsibilities into one job.

Education

Go into detail about your education. As a recent graduate, it is critical that you provide specifics about your degree. For example, if you studied computer science, list the languages you learned, such as Java, Python, and SQL (add them to the skills section).

Skills

Look through the job listing. Find out what skills the hiring manager is looking for and tailor your CV to this.

References

Before adding references, check with the people to whom you are referring before including their name and contact information on your CV. We personally do not recommend including contact information; this can be requested later.

Extra tips

• Make sure your CV is in PDF format so that no one can make changes to it.
• Check that the information dates/roles/etc match your LinkedIn profile.
• Use keywords related to your role on both your CV and LinkedIn to ensure that you are found in ATS and LinkedIn searches.
• Make certain that all of the information on your CV is accurate.
• If your job role is "BD Executive", don't give yourself an inflated job title like "Regional BD Executive." It does not reflect well on you, and it doesn’t imply that you will be able to obtain a more senior position. Your achievements will speak louder than your job title.
• If you are selected for an interview, be prepared to confidently go over your CV.
• Begin with an action verb (don’t simply list responsibilities). Customize your resume by putting the most relevant experience first, using bullet points, and remembering to use full stops.
• Little to no prior experience? Include volunteer work, internships, and student activities.
• Include quantifiable accomplishments such as "increased productivity by 32%" or "reduced company waste by $13,000 in 2017."

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid jargon, clichés, and recycled buzzwords. Don’t use first-person pronouns (e.g., "I," "my"). This appears uninteresting and unprofessional.

Another of the most common resume mistakes is simply listing your responsibilities. The employer is aware of your previous job responsibilities; what they aren't unaware of is how well you performed them. Don't forget that your volunteer experience can be a valuable source of work experience.

Never copy and paste a job description from your previous role. We see this a lot on applications, and it makes it seem like the person a) cannot explain their job scope to themselves, and b) shows that not a lot of effort has gone into the application.

Check out all live noon job postings here