Advance Employability -CV Writing

Introduction

We live in a country where work is scarce, and competition for jobs is high. Every individual wants to secure the best job and the security that this brings. Marketing oneself is essential if one is to succeed in the job market. Career development practitioners must assist clients in drafting a curriculum vitae in a way that allows the client to highlight their skills.

Case study

Gloria is thirty-five years old and has been working in administration for fifteen years at the same company. Sadly, the company was downsizing, and Gloria was retrenched. Over the years, in better times, the company had provided training on various aspects of her job, and Gloria had gained a significant amount of skill along the way. She started as a receptionist and eventually made her way into the accounts division. The company even paid for her BCom degree through UNISA. Gloria was sad that her time with the company had come to an end, as they had taken good care of their staff. After so many years with the same company, Gloria was unsure what existed outside of it. She went to the Career Development Centre and spoke to Prudence. Prudence listened to Gloria and realised that she did not have a CV. Prudence advised Gloria that any job search should start with a CV, and spoke about the aspects of a CV that help market a candidate's skills and experience. Prudence gave Gloria a detailed understanding of how a CV should be structured and handed her a template to help arrange her thoughts before she drafted her CV. Gloria had to apply her mind and think of all the skills she had gained, so that she could properly highlight them, and she left the centre to start on this.

The meaning of curriculum vitae (CV)

Often, when individuals are tasked with creating a CV, they resort to downloading a template and filling it in. Few people commit hours to a CV, although it is one of the most important documents you will ever need.

CV, or curriculum vitae, is Latin and means "story of your life". It provides a synopsis, at a glance, of your working experience and qualifications. Companies generally ask for a one- or two-page CV, so with limited space, you have one opportunity to showcase your talent in the best way possible. Career development practitioners are advised to tell clients that they should strive to answer the following questions inside their CVs:

1. Why am I the right fit for the position?

2. How will I add value to the organisation?

3. Is the information provided going to be relevant to the employer?

Guidelines for creating an effective CV

Tailoring your CV. Your CV needs to match the specific job being applied for. If you apply for a job that emphasises teamwork and creativity, you should ensure that the employer can "see" that you gained those skills during the course of your work or study. If you lack work experience, look at project involvement on campus, or creative ideas you might have contributed to a community social event. It is very important to show the employer that you have tailored the CV to suit the organisation, and did not send a generic CV to multiple employers.

Layout and design of your CV. The layout is very important, as it draws the reader's attention to the most important sections of your CV. If you are a recent graduate, the education section is where you would want the employer's attention to go. This section should have more space than sections on short courses. It should also come first. Clients should place high school activities, or activities from early schooling, below their most recent post-schooling activities. Remember that your highest qualification is your biggest selling point.

Language. The kind of language you use in your CV makes an impression. The use of positive, action-oriented words gives the impression of a proactive person. For example, words like "achieved", "created", "devised" or "organised" are positive and suggest that action has been taken.

Truthfulness. It is a criminal offence to lie on your CV, and those who are caught lying could face severe punishment and possible dismissal. Be sure to include information in your CV that you can justify with evidence of having done the job or task.

Length of CV. Your CV should not exceed two to three pages. An academic CV will have an extra page dealing with publications and conferences. Use the space wisely, and use bold or capitalised headings to break up the information into clear, succinct sections.

Font. Avoid unusual fonts — these will not be impressive if the reader cannot read them easily. Avoid cursive fonts, and use a font that is globally accepted. This includes Arial, Calibri, Verdana and Times New Roman, between 10 and 12 points in size. Use a smaller size, such as 10 point, if you have more information to include.

Format. You can send a Word document to employers, although it is preferred that PDF documents be sent, as this prevents the layout from changing when it is received.

Customise categories and content. Your CV is your marketing tool. Some people have different CVs for different roles. For example, if you apply for casual work, you might want to include information about skills that will benefit a retail environment instead of providing information on a research dissertation in chemistry.

Sections of a CV. You do not have to include absolutely everything in your CV. Remember that it has to be relevant to the role you are applying for. Whatever you include in your CV must showcase your leadership skills. For example, include volunteer and unpaid work experience, because you learn transferable skills from this type of work.

Any good CV has the following headings:

1. Professional Profile

2. Education

3. Industry Experience

4. Leadership Activities

5. Professional Associations (an example being membership of the Actuarial Society)

6. Honours and Awards

Content for your CV

1. Identify your most impressive qualities. The first step is to identify what you want the employer to know about you. What is it you wish to say that can convince the reader that you are the ideal candidate? Make a list of your best skills, and then tie these in with what the employer wants. Are you on a rugby team? This indicates teamwork and drive. Perhaps you host life coaching talks within the community? These activities highlight your communication skills, presentation skills and leadership skills.

2. Open with a personal statement. A personal statement summarises your achievements and goals within a few lines and lets the employer know immediately whether you are a suitable candidate. As a general rule, personal statements should be no longer than 150 words. You can start by introducing yourself, along with your education level and a top skill or two. An example could be: "An experienced miner specialising in ore, coal and rock, and in designing and building supportive entryways for transportation to and from the mines." Be sure about what you are applying for, so you can prepare your statement accordingly.

3. Focus on skills obtained from your degree. Whilst you study, you gain many transferable skills. If you were engaged in a project, you could speak about your teamworking skills, communication skills or negotiation skills. Reflect on your presentation skills, time management skills and ability to manage stress. Use this as an opportunity to highlight skills you have learned, even if you lack formal work experience.

4. List skills instead of roles. Most commonly, CVs begin by listing the candidate's most recent employment, but it is recommended that you start the CV with a list of skills you have acquired rather than the roles you occupied. Remember, the potential employer wants to know what you can bring to the table in the form of expertise.

5. Additional skills. Sometimes people tend to leave out skills they view as obvious, such as having a driver's licence or being computer literate. You might also be multilingual, and this can add value to the organisation. Think carefully about which skills will enhance the environment you wish to work in.

6. Treat your extra-curricular activities like jobs. Any task that brings learning is worth mentioning, even if you were not paid for it. List all the skills you learned from extra-curricular activities or volunteer work. Provide details such as the duration of time invested and the tasks you undertook to develop the skills you now have.

7. Add some personality. CVs are often sterile documents that contain a succinct summary of your achievements. You can add personality by including your hobbies or any bit of information that reflects your unique sense of individuality.

Conclusion

Creating a CV is an important function of the career development practitioner. A CV helps clients to best market themselves and secure suitable employment. If a client has a CV that poorly represents them, securing work could become challenging and frustrating. Career development practitioners must draw the client's attention to aspects of the CV that need correcting.