Draft the perfect CV

In the second part of our series we look at how to craft the best possible CV to help you find a job

WHEN you’re hunting for a job, a tip-top CV is crucial ammunition. It’s not easy condensing your work experience into a page or three – yes, it needs to be that concise – but it’s worth spending the time to get it right. We ask the experts how it’s done.

HOW IMPORTANT IS A CV?

Unless you’ve landed an interview through a personal referral, your CV is your first chance to make a good impression on a potential employer, and it’s likely to be a key factor in whether or not you land an interview. Recruiters and employers will use your CV to decide if you’re a suitable candidate, and many people won’t make the shortlists for jobs, says Celeste Stewart, director of Bold Curiosity, a learning and development consultancy in Cape Town. “Not because they’re not suitably qualified, but because they don’t represent themselves well enough on their CV. It really is worthwhile polishing your CV.” A CV should have four sections: personal details, education, career history and references, says Lorna O’Brien of O’Brien Recruitment in Cape Town. “It should include a customised covering letter and must be easy to read with accurate dates.”

WHAT TO INCLUDE

The essentials are your contact details, social media handles and a link to your portfolio if you work in a creative industry, says Tamara Wolpert of Viv Gordon Placements in Cape Town.

In addition to your qualifications, skills and work experience you should outline your work and personal achievements, and other relevant activities, such as volunteer or charity work.

You can include your reasons for leaving past jobs but don’t badmouth previous employers.

Job hopping can be perceived poorly but if you can account for your movements with good reasons you can prevent this, says Alexis Kitchen of Afrizan Personnel in Johannesburg.

“Gaps in your CV’s timeline are also red flags, so it’s best to account for them. Rather say you were, for example, on maternity leave or worked as a waiter than say nothing at all,” Kitchen explains.

Contact details for your references are important as most employers require at least two references before making a job offer. “If you’re new to the workplace, these could be teachers or lecturers,” Kitchen says.

WHAT TO LEAVE OUT

You don’t need to include your current salary details unless the job advert has requested them, Wolpert says.

Also, the longer you’ve been out of school the less relevant it is to include school accomplishments. It’s also not necessary to include your age, marital status and whether you have children, she adds.

Generic statements are also a no-no, Stewart says. “If I had a rand for everyone who says they enjoy hiking as a hobby I’d be rich by now!”

(Turn over)

BE JOB SPECIFIC

Before you apply for a job, ensure you meet its requirements – and that this is clear to anyone reading your CV, Kitchen says.

“If you’re emailing your CV include a synopsis of your skills and experiences that meet the requirements of the job in the body of the email. The skills section of your CV can be particularly useful here – you can tweak this as it pertains to a particular role,” she explains.

Remember, a CV isn’t a one-size-fits-all document, Wolpert says. It needs to be adjusted depending on the job for which you’re applying.

“Don’t lie about your experience but be sure to highlight the relevant experience by mentioning those points first or expanding on them,” she says.

Stewart suggests using the job advert to do this. “The job ad will list the required deliverables, outcomes and competencies. Work through the list and highlight and connect what you have in your current CV to match it.”

CHOOSE YOUR REFERENCES

Not only are they important, our experts say they’re almost always checked by employers.

“We do at least two reference checks on candidates,” O’Brien says, adding that recruiters usually get the most detailed references when applicants have let the referees know they should expect a call.

Stewart adds that references are rarely a deciding factor when it comes to offering someone a job.

“We don’t use the feedback from the check to decide whether you’ll be recruited. These are used in conjunction with the rest of the recruitment process – the interview results, psychometric assessments, simulations and so on.”

Remember, only include your current employer as a reference if they’re aware you’re job hunting, Wolpert says.

“In most cases recruiters contacting your current employer could jeopardise confidentiality and could make things awkward with them.

“Remember to include only the names of people who are aware you’re looking and who you’ve worked for in the past,” she advises.