How to revamp your CV to increase your chances of getting employed

Hello. In this article, I am going to guide you on how to write a perfect CV that will multiply your chances of getting your dream job. Remember that anytime you want to apply for a job opportunity, you should customize your CV to impress the employer of that given job. Sending the same CV to multiple employers reduces your chances of getting hired because different jobs have different requirements.

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The following are the tips to help you customize your CV for a particular opportunity;

• Never start your CV with Curriculum Vitae instead, Start with your name boldly written with a larger font. For example, I will write my full name (Marion Mwangangi) a larger font on top of my CV. Do not use capital letters unless for the first letter of your name.

• Use official email address on your CV, the email should have your official name and not the unofficial name you use on social media platforms and other platforms. Make sure you use this email when applying for the job, this way, you will maintain consistency.

• Under personal data or profile. Some entities like date of birth, state and nationality are not compulsory. As a matter of fact, if the age they need doesn’t favor you, just take off your date of birth. Keep the interviewer in doubt. Rather sell your skills. It might not be their fault, but employers wouldn’t take it that way since you’re not there to defend it. So write out only graduation year if you took too long to graduate. Also, there’s no need for your high school or college grades. Just take it off.

• Under educational background and dates, simply write your school, your course of study and then the year you graduated, especially if you took so many years at the university. (You’re putting yourself at a disadvantage).

• Specific Certifications are another area that’s making people lose out of the job search in recent times. Under this section, most people don’t have what to put and it pisses off most employers. It means you haven’t done much to add value to yourself. You can add some courses available online just in case. There are simple courses you can defend before an interview panel even without stepping into their classes, you can add one or two, it will give you an advantage over others who have not added. Nate that the courses you add here should be relevant to the job you are applying. It’s like you want to tell the employer that you are the right person for this job.

• Under your work experience, you are expected to state where you worked, your job designation and your responsibilities. If you are no longer working in the firm, write your responsibilities in past tense. The current place of work can be written in present tense.

• If you are a fresh graduate try to do one or two short courses while at university like MS-EXCEL, PASTEL, QUICKBOOKS Etc, else you will be submitting what we call a blank CV’ (A CV without skills which is not good especially at this time when there is high competition in the job market). For those working, you can use your weekends to achieve same. It will help you in your next job search.

• However, all your work experiences need not go on your CV except the one relates to the job you’re applying for. It makes your CV concise.

• Under your referees or references, please, you are expected to have your referee’s name, phone number and email address. If you have less than three references you can also use your family member as your referee, but ensure you don’t use the same surname and inform them in advance to know what they will tell if called upon by the employer.

• Never forward a CV from your inbox to another employer. Open and compose a fresh mail then upload your CV and send. It should not appear with the “forwarded” tag on it as this will give the employer an hint that it was done for you by a professional CV editor or another person.

• When sending your CV, make sure the subject carries the job role you are applying for.

• Don’t save your CV on your laptop or phone as ‘My CV’ or Edited CV’. Simply save it with your full name, e.g. Marion Mwangangi-CV

• When sending your CV, don’t leave the email page blank. Copy your cover letter and paste on the email page. Forget the usual ‘Sir, kindly find attached herewith for your’

• Always go through your CV before sending it to the employer.

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