Tailored CV's
Does it ever feel like, even though you send your glowing CV to recruiters and
employers by the dozen, with the expectation of getting a response but nothing
ever happens?
You have detailed all of your work experience and skills, attached certificates
and reference letters to accompany your application and still not a hint of
interest from a recruiter or employer alike.
So what's the problem? Why, after painstakingly creating a nine page application
is no one interested in at least one of your skills?
Want to know the answer? It's your CV! It's just not getting you noticed.
Your CV application document is the only means to promoting your unique skills
to prospecting employers and should be viewed as a personal brochure about your
skill and accomplishments. When a resume is too long or details work history
that is irrelevant to the position you are applying to, no Recruiter will pay
attention to it. Recruiters are bombarded with candidates work history for each
job vacancy that they advertise.
In order for Recruiters to get through the bulk of applications received, they
scan through the details, noting keywords, skills and specific work experience
that match the details of the job ad.
If you have sent through a chronological curriculum vitae, describing every
position you have ever worked in, because they lack capacity and time,
Recruiters will be reluctant to wade through each of these looking to match your
skills to an employer's requirements. Instead they will toss your resume' to the
side and scan through applications that are concise, to the point and relevant
to requirements of the role.
This is why it is recommended that in order to get yourself noticed, you need to
concentrate on getting your CV to talk directly to the Recruiter and in a
language they understand. By adapting this, each time you apply to a unique job
vacancy, this will assist in helping you to talk to the Recruiter in a language
they understand, telling them exactly what they want to hear.
Follow these guidelines to assist you in customising your applications so that
it gets noticed.
BEGIN WITH YOUR BASE CV
Start by preparing and all encompassing curriculum vitae to base each customised
application from. While this is fine to advertise generically, this should not
be used for all job applications but rather made available for head hunters.
READ THE JOB AD CAREFULLY
Take special care when looking at the advertised vacancy and ensure that you are
absolutely sure that you are matching relevant ability to those skills and
experience detailed as being requirements of the Recruiter. If and when
possible, give the agent a call to find out further information regarding the
job and the roles and responsibilities it entails.
BREAK YOUR BASE DOCUMENT INTO SECTIONS OF RELEVANCY
By only specifying the relevant skills set, qualifications and experience in
your tailored CV, this will not only help in getting it noticed but it will also
show the recruitment agent that you are particularly interested in their
vacancy. If you show that you have spent time preparing your application,
exerted effort and care to target and customise your job application, this will
prove that you recognise and understand what the employer is looking for in a
candidate and you've got what they want.
RELEVANCY OF SKILLS WILL RANK YOUR RESUME
A key concept of targeting your application employs emphasis to be made on the
roles and responsibilities listed in your generic CV that are relevant and
relate directly to the advertised post. Omit information that does not
specifically correlate to listed requirements in the job ad, as this will waste
limited space and make it that much more difficult for a Recruiter to identify
the relevancy of your work history.
IDENTIFY TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Transferable skills are important to detail, as these skills are unique to you
personally and may be utilised equally from one job to another job. Transferable
skills may be used in any role regardless of the job function or the industry,
which is why it is vital to document such skills. To illustrate such skills; the
ability to multitask, attention to detail, energetic, crisis management, ability
to integrate into a team, motivate others and so on.
USE THE JOB AD TO TAILOR YOUR CURRICULUM VITAE
The Recruiter will use a specific language style and words in the job advert
itself and these are the words that should appear in your customised curriculum
vitae which you will send as your job application. Mirror the Recruiters'
language and choice of words in your modified job application in order for
specific skills to be highlighted in the language the recruiter speaks. By using
too advanced synonyms or paraphrasing, may result in waffle and a "slow to read"
document.
RELEVANCY OF THE TITLE
It is just as important to modify your unique CV title as it is to edit the
skills and responsibilities listed in the body. If the title is simply your name
and a date, how does this help to sell you at a glance? It doesn't! Give your
tailored CV a unique and customised title relevant to the position and try to
include no more than two credentials or required skills that you already have.
INCLUDE YOUR CURRENT CAREER OBJECTIVE
Include a brief but targeted career objective at the end of your curriculum
vitae that directly relates to the position you are applying for, for example;
my current career objective is to become the Online Content Manager at Company
X.
This will illustrate once again, how well you are suited to the role as well as
the effort and care you have taken in identifying relevant information that
pertains to the role you are interested in.
