By SYCORAX TIYESA NDHLOVU –
LIKE job application letter writing, curriculum vitae (CV) writing is another tool that one can use to land in a good job.
But for a CV to facilitate successful job hunting, it should have certain contents presented in a certain format and style.
The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the critical issues in CV writing that persuade potential employers to shortlist a job applicant with possibility of employing such a job seeker.
Therefore, this article reminds our esteemed readers that a CV is another sales letter which should have verifiable facts and figures presented in a persuasive manner in all the main parts of a CV.
Reflecting on ‘Is your job application letter persuasive’ published under this column the other week, a Lusaka resident, Phinias Mudenda said: ‘You are right Mr Ndhlovu. Most us write job application letter in an ordinary manner. We forget that competition on the labour market is now stiff.’
Mr Mudenda said he was about to send a job application letter; and after reading that article on how to write persuasive job application letters, he ensured improvement on the letter he wrote to include his selling points in a logical manner in line with what a job description of that vacant position states.
And another Lusaka resident, Seniya Banda said she enjoys reading Let’s Talk Careers’ articles because they are an eye-opener and inspiring in her career advancement processes.
Ms Banda, who works for Millenium Radio, said what interests her most in such articles is how one can enhance his or her job security by practising the advice the articles give.
Both Mr Mudenda and Ms Banda said they always look forward to reading Let’s Talk Careers’ article every Saturday in Times of Zambia to update themselves on some of the critical issues in job hunting and career development processes.
Generally, many people know the format and contents of a CV. But what needs some improvement is on contents and style of presentation in such a format in most main parts of a CV.
Most job seekers present information in most main parts of a CV in a valueless mechanical manner without showing the values a job seeker will bring to an organisation; and therefore persuading a potential employer to shortlist that job seeker with a possibility of offering such a candidate a job.
In short, most CVs prove that a job seeker is just a beggar or a parasite who is desperate to find a job for him or her to start getting a monthly salary.
With a CV that doesn’t prove the value of a job applicant, one cannot be shortlisted for personal interviews as a process to be appointed to that vacant position.
Therefore, a CV should glitter with your values to prove that you will contribute positively to achieving the goal of that organisation when you offered a job in that organisation.
What is critical in any CV writing is that it is brief a summary of what someone has done throughout his or her life that can demonstrate that one is the right person to fill a certain vacant position.
This implies that one cannot have 100 photocopies of his or her CV to distribute to any potential employer in the next one year just because one is desperately looking for a job.
Depending on the needs of a potential employer, a CV can be detailed, summary or functional.
And each vacant position advertised has its own job description which invites specific details in a CV.
A CV is tailored to a specific employer’s needs and expectations. A job description in any advertised vacant position plays a critical role in what your CV should state. From what a job description states, a job seeker can discover how best to present his or her CV to prove that he or she is the right candidate to fill that vacant position.
Therefore, human resource management (HRM) practitioners should state whether they summary, detailed or functional CV in each vacant position advertised.
HRM should also be specific and clear in each job descriptions for job applicants to present sensible CV to each vacant position.
Merely stating your full names, age, marital status and other details in a CV is not enough.
Just mentioning where you did your primary, secondary and tertiary education; and in which year is too ordinary to market yourself in the current competitive labour market.
Like it was stated in job application letter writing, CV writing is highly influenced by level of vacant position, nature of a job and type and expectations of a potential employer.
Writing a CV in an ordinary manner when the position one is applying for is high; and that it requires certain levels of abilities and skills from someone to fill that position demands that a CV should be written in a certain manner to demonstrate that you are the only suitable candidate to fill that vacant position.
In your CV, show that you fly above the crowds of other job applicants.
Ordinarily, a CV starts with personal details, your academic and professional achievements, work experience, hobbies and referees in that order.
But in modern CV writing, this is also challenged in that it is argued that potential employers don’t buy academic and professional achievements in a job seeker for one to bring such soon after personal details.
It is argued that potential employers buy the values of what that candidate would contribute to that organisation.
Therefore, in modern CV writing skills, some CV writing experts argue that no sooner should one write personal details than should one bring work experience.
Work experience quickly demonstrates the value a job seeker will bring to an organisation once employed. It gives critical milestones a candidate has scoring in the current and former positions with other employers.
But depending on levels of the position one is applying for, in some cases, one can include a career objective or goal in a CV.
A career goal states what one wants to be in a possible future as a career ladder achievement through one’s academic and professional hard work.
The purpose of writing a career objective or goal is to show that you are a professionally serious and result-oriented minded person to achieve that career objective or goal.
But what is also important is writing a CV that sparkles in the eyes of potential employers is how you state your achievements in work experience and in academic and professional levels.
In most cases, many people just state that they were, say, at Namushakende Secondary School from a certain year to a certain year; and that they have a school certificate.
This is not a unique selling proposition for a job hunter.
Therefore, it puts a job seeker in the crowd of many job applicants; thereby creating unnecessary stiff competition between yourself and many other job applicants.
In your CV, demonstrate that you are unique and the only suitable candidate to fill that vacant position.
Put relevant details that are in consonant with the job description; but which prove that you are different; and therefore gives you a competitive advantage with other candidates.
While personal details, work experience, academic and professional achievements, hobbies and referees are standard format for most CV types, it is what you include and the style of presentation in each main parts of a CV that sells you to your potential employer.
For example, when you state where you did your secondary or tertiary education, state subjects or courses and their grades in which you scored high marks which are also highly related to critical issues in the job description of the vacant position.
Even when you are highlighting your experience, state what you have done before; and to what measurable extent which can prove that you will add similar values to a potential employer.
If you are a salesperson, for instance, what percentage did you increase the number of customers in your sales territory?
Therefore, what percentage did you increase sales in your sales territory?
Potential employers with a purpose for their existence don’t buy paper qualifications.
They buy the value you will add to their organisation.
Therefore, highlight specific milestones you have already achieved with your current or former employers which you think will add value to a potential employer.
The author is a trainer and career coach.
Contact: Cell: 0976/0977 450151
E-mail: sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk