Submitting your CV for a vacant position is an important step in your career, so it makes sense to ensure that your CV is accurate, has all the correct information, and that you only apply for positions that match your skills and experience. Remember that your CV is SELLING you! You are part of a group of potential applicants of 20 to 30 and sometimes as many as 200 to 700 people, who all applied for the same vacant position. You therefore need to make yourself stand out. How do you do this? Below are some common problems recruiters come across, which could lead to you being declined for a position. Accuracy of information Most of the advertised positions state that “accuracy and attention to detail” are a required competency. Can you imagine a recruiter’s impression on reading a CV with spelling errors in the first sentence? That doesn’t say much for your accuracy or attention to detail, does it? As important are the facts that you state in your CV! Ensure that the employment dates stipulated are correct and that there are no gaps – this will raise queries with the recruiters. If there are genuine gaps of unemployment, state them as such so that it is clear and that the flow of dates is uninterrupted. How to ensure accuracy:
Interesting Fact: Did you know that it is considered FRAUD to lie on your CV?Appropriate amount of detail As stated previously, reading your CV is the first opportunity a recruiter has of getting to know you. Therefore you should ensure that you include as much detail as possible, where appropriate. Bad Example: Title: Administrator Duties: General administration duties Good Example: Title: Administrator Duties:
How do you ensure good detail? Ask yourself the following questions:
Include your current salary bracket This indicates your salary expectations It is very useful to the recruiters to see what salary you currently receive. This will give them an immediate indication whether the job you have applied for will be appropriate for you. Also remember to be realistic when asked for your required annual package, as your CV will be declined if we cannot meet your expectations. R750k+ refers to ‘more than R750 000.00 per annum’. Remember your contact details! We need to be able to get hold of you this relates both to accuracy and details above, but is commonly overlooked. Ensure that your contact details are correct and if they change, remember to update them on your CV. If we can’t get hold of you, we can’t consider you for a position. References Ask your referees’ permission It is good practice to ask permission to put someone down as a reference. It is not a good indication to a recruiter when a referee is contacted and the person is not willing to give a reference. Also, if your referee’s contact details change, remember to update it on your CV. Meeting minimum requirements One of the most common reasons for declining an applicant. Always make sure that the position you are applying to is relevant to you and that you actually meet all the minimum requirements. If you do not meet the minimum requirements outlined on the job specification for the position, your CV will be declined by the recruiter screening your CV. Submission of your CV for more than one position This could count against you! It might be a concern to recruiters to see a candidate has applied for a variety of positions, from Administrator to Manager level. This is an indication of “floating” and might count against you. It is not a reason for decline in itself, but coupled with not meeting the minimum requirements, would be an indication that the candidate is not sure of their career path. |
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