Be Warned! Here Is The Worst Thing You Could Ever Do To Your CV

By Lilian Wamaitha
You have been applying for so many jobs yet none of them seem to yield any fruit and are now wondering what you are doing wrong.
You have even began thinking that maybe, just maybe a majority of those jobs don’t exist – that employers just advertise them for formality.
But I have interacted with so many recruiters and have interviewed quite a number of tem to know that when jobs are advertised, there is a gap that the employer is looking to fill.
They are looking for the most suitable person to give the job and if your applications are not getting you interviews, there is something you are not doing right.
Your CV for one is the first contact you have with an employer and you need to make sure that its saying the right things about you.
Applying for a job isn’t just enough – what matters is the quality of your applications.
Today, I want us to look at the worst things you could ever do to your CV and which end up costing you great opportunities.
1. Sending a generic CV
I know its tiring tailoring each and every application to fit the job especially if your job search has been dragging on for so long.
However, in as much as you need a job, never apply for jobs using a generic CV.
Make sure that you customize your CV to the job you are applying for.
Recruiters are looking for skills and experience that matches their vacant role which means you have to bring that out on your CV. Failure to do this only means that you are not communicating fully to the employer.
2. Failing to demonstrate results
You have the work experience that the employer is looking for, but your CV does not demonstrate results in the positions you’ve held. It only lists your responsibilities. Show how well you performed your job by showing the results you produced.
For instance, instead of writing “organized filing system”, write something like, “Reorganized the finance department’s filing system, correcting 3 years of improper filling and making accessibility easy.
Of key importance is to lay emphasis on your performance on the job by showing the results you produced.
3. Giving irrelevant information
A recruiter will want to know you better through your CV, but that does not mean listing everything about you in a CV.
“You don’t have to put everything you’ve done under your work experience as too much irrelevant information could obscure the parts of your CV that demonstrate your abilities for the job at hand” advises Rebecca Nyawira, a professional CV writer at Corporate Staffing Services.
Recruiters don’t want to know how many kids you have, your likes and dislikes, your most embarrassing moments or your most memorable moments. Keep such information for friends and colleagues.
Your CV does not have to include such information or every job you have held; tone it down a notch and put those that speak to the job you are applying for.
4. Overlying too much on templates
Rebecca says that too many job seekers rely too much on CV templates that are readily available online.
A CV template is designed to act as a guide of how your CV should look like not to be used as the actual CV.
“Think of a template as a suit. A person wears a suit and then adapts to his or her own personality. Just the same, use the template to brand yourself as a job seeker and most importantly to communicate your achievements.”
5. Finally, lying
You have read so many articles on CV writing and know that you only have about 6 seconds to capture the attention of the employer.
But in as much as that is true, lying about your qualifications will not get you anywhere.
While you may lie and get to the interview, it’s very difficult to prove something you claim to be but in reality isn’t.
You may not be qualified for the job but believe that it’s the perfect fit for you, but that doesn’t mean that you lie.
Ever heard of transferrable skills? You may not have exactly what the employer is looking for but have other skills that can come handy in that particular job. Bring that out clearly.
The goal is to stand out in your application.
With this in mind
When applying for a job, rarely do you know the employer beside what you have read on their website or is in the public domain. Therefore, you need to start paying attention to what you are putting in your CV.  If it does not sell your candidacy, get rid of it or better still have someone craft you a professional CV that sells you within 6 seconds.
For professional CV writing services, get in touch with Ms Rebecca Nyawira and her team through cvwriting@corporatestaffing.co.ke.