We’re back on ToneFM’s Job Show this evening from 6pm, discussing the Do’s and Don’ts of online applications and where candidates often fall short when trying to get their CV seen above the competition.
The online jobs marketplace is a fluid and intimidating place, and often candidates are overwhelmed by the sheer number of jobs boards and roles on “offer”. It’s hard to check the veracity of the roles on offer, and with record employment levels and 800,000 vacant roles country wide, this can be a daunting position for a candidate to be in.
However, our Commercial Manager James Tuckett says the biggest focus for a candidate should be getting the basics right: making sure your CV is well presented, honest, up to date and spell checked!
A CV is a window into your working life – it’s designed to be an honest reflection on your career to date, and to champion your interests, drive, passions and plans for the future. There are many schools of thought on how long or short CV’s should be, but James highlighted the following as the most important facets to remember when crafting your CV.
- Tone of voice: Speak in the first person, be positive and be concise.
- Terminology: Use specific industry language – if you’re a specialist in the Software Development Field make sure you include industry specific terms (I’m an expert in PHP, JavaScript, CSS, HTML etc) as well as key character traits such as “adaptable, focused, self-motivated”. Make sure you balance the information to be both skills and character focused!
- SpellCheck: Check, double check, and triple check every word; cross every T and dot every I; get someone else to read it with fresh eyes and to make sure the document reads well; then check it again! Clients want to see you apply a diligent eye to your CV – this is the first document they are seeing from you, so you want to make it perfect.
- Be Honest: There is nothing worse than a CV peppered with falsehoods, and you’ll be quickly found out through reference checks or skills tests if you provide the wrong information.
- If in doubt, call the client: A client wants nothing more than to be shown the hunger you have for the role – you’ll be far more memorable if you use a CV to back up an initial approach to the decision maker.
- Keep a note of the applications you make: If you’re eagerly searching for a role and get a call back from a client, you must be prepared. Clients don’t want to hear vagaries about the amount of applications you’ve made – be concise and show passion for their job.
Securing your perfect job takes time, but if you’ve got all the basics right and have shown a diligent and professional approach to managing your CV, you’ll be held in very high regard and have a higher chance of getting the role.
One Step will be back on the ToneFM Job’s Show next Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 6pm, on 107.8FM. Tune in to hear more!
