Make the most of your CV
• Your CV is a crucial tool in the world of job seeking. It gives a prospective employer a glimpse at your skills and experience and may influence them when considering who to call for a job interview.
• Employers are invariably short on time and in the current recessionary climate are often presented with many CVs to read. Your CV must be well written, clear, easy to read and free of errors.
• Have somebody read your CV when it is fully prepared. This will help eliminate errors or ambiguities. Remember that your CV comes with a cover letter, so also make sure that the cover letter and the address on the envelope used are also free of errors.
• Consider the needs of your employer and ensure that they are addressed in the CV. For example, your prospective employer is looking to increase profits, increase efficiency and improve market share, so if you have experience in any of these areas or skills that would be of benefit to your employer in this respect, highlight these skills.
• Avoid using abbreviations that the person reading the CV will not be familiar with. Also beware of clichés and ambiguous phrases.
To make the most of your CV, you should ensure that it gets to as many prospective employers as possible.
• Apart from using websites such as recruitauto.ie, also inform friends and family that you are job seeking and encourage them to pass on your CV to anyone who may be looking for staff. Such recommendations are often very valuable.
• Finally, although it’s a difficult process, it’s important to stay focused and determination and enthusiasm can by your best allies along the way.