Job-hunting can be a stressful and scary task to begin with and there is more to it than just figuring out what you’d like to do and sending off your CV...
Have you experienced this: You send CV after CV and hear nothing back from 90% of the companies you apply with- Ugh!
But why is that?
You could be making at least one of these mistakes...
1. When sending your CV out to companies,
never send a blank email with just your CV attached. Ever. Simply saying, "Please see my CV attached" isn't good enough either.
2.
Not including a cover letter. This is a big one. Having a perfectly laid out CV is great, but failing to include a cover letter telling them a bit about yourself and your background means your CV will probably end up in the junk pile. Use your cover letter as an opportunity to show who you are and what you can offer.
3.
Failing to proofread your CV. Yes, spellcheck is important, but it's also a given. What we're talking about is consistent use of fonts and spacing, a good layout and clear headings. Your CV represents you; tiny errors add up and leave a bad impression.
4.
Not tailoring your CV and cover letter to the job you're applying for. The fact is there's a ton of people applying for the same job you are - so what makes your CV stand out? Use your cover letter to show that you're applying specifically at our company, and use the job spec posted in the job advertisement to link the skills in your CV to those of the available position.
5.
Not following the instructions of the company posting the job ad. This is very important! If you're asked to use a specific subject line in your email application, then do so! If you're asked for a cover letter (which you should always include anyway), don't dare send your application without one. This is really the first time you're making contact with your prospective employer and you don't want to start off by showing them that you struggle to follow basic instructions.
Keep these 5 top CV tips in mind the next time you are about to embark on a 'job-hunting' expedition. It's all about creating an awesome first impression, you wouldn't show up for an interview wearing sweatpants, would you?
Staff Training is a soft skills training provider with more than 60 workshops on offer. Email us at
info@StaffTraining.co.za for more info or give us a call at 0861 996 660
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