Here is a common question not just asked in Zimbabwe but all over the world by prospective job candidates, “What makes a good cv presentation?” The question arises because like it or not, we worry about the “how our Curriculum Vitae looks” and how people will look at it. Without wasting much time let us get into it.
Bad CV ?
Most people are so nervous they want to introduce themselves all at once. So you receive the CV and what you get is two paragraphs of introduction or composition explaining why you are such a good person and what makes you tick. Let’s think about this for a moment.
The person reading your CV is looking for a candidate, so what are they looking for?
Qualifications: They are looking to see if you qualify for the job. Do you have the right qualifications?
Skills: Is your experience “set” enough to make you qualify as a potential candidate?
Identification: Where do you stay? What are your contact details that people can use to get in touch with you?
Now, if your CV starts with a paragraph as a candidate you must be able to judge for yourself if the cv is a personal conversation or a professional presentation of what you are capable of.
How about the hobbies? We constantly see CVs that state hobbies such as “going to church”, “playing tennis”, etc. The question that arises is “Are people really interested to that extent or is that left off to discovery at the interview if it is necessary” Does your cv represent your own recognition of privacy.
Unnecessary Information
When is information too much in a cv? Your privacy is important but there is a step too much in your cv. For example if you write;
“Am an African male residing in the high density of Kadoma” Already you are saying too much. Do you get hired because you reside in a high density or that you are an African male. This is a case of too much information which does not determine your fit for the job.
Imagine that you are writing about being a single mother, being a Pentecostal church member, your favourite movie being Avatar and much more. Does revealing all this information become critical for your job interview or your qualifications? Some people become subjective in their assessment based on their personal inclination when reading your cv.
Grammar and Language
Sometimes we transfer the way we speak into the CV. The tone and manner of speech can sell or have the negative and opposite effect to selling. Your CV is a selling point for you as a professional. If the full stops are many and the commas are rushed, the communication intended can become a hard read. Professional writing is easy but can be complicated if it is subjective to emotions.
What would you think of a person who sends the following
“I am a young men of 25 years old. I recentli completed my degree and looking for a job at your compmany. I am hard working, passionate and throughly committeed to the job.”
Your communication sends signal of what kind of person you are and what you will be as a professional.
In Part 2 we will be tackling more on the cv and it’s content.