{"id":337961,"date":"2019-09-08T13:30:33","date_gmt":"2019-09-08T11:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=337961"},"modified":"2019-09-06T16:37:45","modified_gmt":"2019-09-06T14:37:45","slug":"10-cv-tips-you-probably-havent-heard-before","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/337961\/10-cv-tips-you-probably-havent-heard-before\/","title":{"rendered":"10 CV tips you probably haven’t heard before"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having a well-crafted CV can be the key to getting your foot in the door at the company of your dreams.<\/p>\n

However, figuring out how to make your CV fully representative of your experience and also stand out is easier said than done, according to jobs website Glassdoor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Glassdoor found that hiring managers and recruiters generally only spend about seven seconds reading your CV before deciding whether to move forward or not.<\/p>\n

While most people know the basics of how to put together a decent work history, below Glassdoor outlined some tips you probably haven\u2019t heard before that can help your CV stand up to the seven-second test.<\/p>\n

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1. Only include your address if it works in your favour<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re applying to positions in the city or town you already live in, then go ahead and include your address.<\/p>\n

In this case, it lets the hiring manager know you\u2019re already in the area and could theoretically start working right away.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re targeting jobs in another area and you\u2019d need to move in order to start working, it\u2019s probably a good idea to leave your current address off of your CV.<\/p>\n

Why? Recruiters are sometimes less excited to interview candidates from another city, since they often require relocation fees.<\/p>\n

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2. Be a name-dropper<\/strong><\/p>\n

It may be poor form to drop names in everyday life, but you absolutely should do it on your CV.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve worked with well-known clients or companies, go ahead and include them by name.<\/p>\n

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3. Use your performance reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n

You might not think to look to your annual review for CV material, but checking out the positive feedback you\u2019ve received in years past can help you identify your most noteworthy accomplishments and best work attributes – two things that should definitely be highlighted on your CV .<\/p>\n

Including specific feedback, you\u2019ve received and goals you\u2019ve met can help you avoid needing to use ‘fluff’ to fill out your work experience.<\/p>\n

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4. Don\u2019t go overboard with keywords<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many companies and recruiters use keyword-scanning software as a tool to narrow the job applicant pool. For this reason, it\u2019s important to include keywords from the job description in your CV\u2014 but don\u2019t go overboard.<\/p>\n

Recruiters can spot ‘keyword stuffing’ a mile away.<\/p>\n

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5. Use common sense email etiquette<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two types of email addresses you shouldn\u2019t use on your CV or when applying to a job via email: your current work email address, or an overly personal or inappropriate email address, like loverguy22@gmail.com.<\/p>\n

Stick with something professional based on your name in order to make the best possible impression.<\/p>\n

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6. When it comes to skills, quality over quantity<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no need to list skills that most people in the job market have (Think: Microsoft Office, email, Mac and PC proficient), which can make it look like you\u2019re just trying to fill up space on the page.<\/p>\n

Keep your skills section short, and only include impactful skills that are relevant to the job you\u2019re applying to.<\/p>\n

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7. Choose to share social accounts strategically<\/strong><\/p>\n

Including links to social media accounts on a CV is becoming more and more common.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s important to distinguish between professional accounts\u2014like a LinkedIn profile or Instagram account you manage for work\u2014and non-professional ones, like your personal Twitter or Facebook account.<\/p>\n

While it might be tempting to include a personal account in order to show recruiters who you are, you\u2019re better off only listing accounts that are professionally-focused.<\/p>\n

Save your winning personality for an in-person interview.<\/p>\n

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8. Use hobbies to your advantage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not all hobbies deserve a place on your CV, but some do. Hobbies that highlight positive personality qualities or skills that could benefit you on the job are worth including.<\/p>\n

For example, running marathons (shows discipline and determination) and blogging about something related to your field (shows creativity and genuine interest in your work) are hobbies that will cast you in the best possible light and might pique a recruiter\u2019s interest.<\/p>\n

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9. Skip generic descriptors<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hardworking, self-motivated, self-sufficient, proactive and detail-oriented are all words you\u2019ll find on most people\u2019s CVs.<\/p>\n

But most job seekers are motivated and hardworking, so these traits don\u2019t really set you apart from the rest of the applicant pool.<\/p>\n

Instead, focus on the specific skills and accomplishments that make you different from everyone else applying to the position.<\/p>\n

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10. Keep an accomplishment journal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keeping a log of your work accomplishments and positive feedback as they come up can make putting together or updating your CV significantly easier.<\/p>\n

Include as many details as possible so you don\u2019t have to spend time tracking them down later.<\/p>\n

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Read: These are the most in-demand job skills in South Africa right now<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Having a well-crafted CV can be the key to getting your foot in the door at the company of your dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":338015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[7186,26],"class_list":["post-337961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-glassdoor","tag-headline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337961"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":339447,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337961\/revisions\/339447"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/338015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}