You send CVs, Z83 forms, spend hours crafting the perfect cover letter, follow up with recruiters to find out if your application has been successful, but all you get back is radio silence.
It's discouraging – and expensive, with the costs of data, printing and mailing a huge financial sacrifice for unemployed people to make in order to get an interview.
“Your job search will go more smoothly once employers and recruiters take an interest in your CV," advises Bill Soulios, a business development operations manager, on LinkedIn.
"Many potential employers go out of their way to manually search for and read job applications instead of relying on automation. To these HR professionals, the most important part of any CV is the impression they get from the person behind it.”
Fundi Twala, an HR co-ordinator at Penquin, and Annemie Burger, Penquin HR director, know a thing or two about what makes a CV stand out. They share their insights with Drum readers below.
- Start with a real photo
In a world of filters and editing apps, many people create entirely new versions of themselves online. If you’re going to include a photo in your CV, the key is to have it actually looking like you, not some overly touched up or tweaked version. This is to guarantee that any interviewer won’t have to glance down at your CV to make sure they’ve actually got the right person in the room.
You don’t have to be as formal as you would for an ID or passport photo. Be authentic, and showcase your beautiful smile for everyone to appreciate.
- Include the essentials
Every CV has to have the essential information for hiring teams not to have any questions to ask in order to establish if you are fit to interview for the role.
This includes contact information, work experience, your education (including qualifications or certifications), as well as your relevant skills.
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Start with the latest work experience and include dates, as HR teams tend to look at when you were employed and how long you stayed with the company. The more detailed you can be without writing an essay about each, the better.
- Good grammar and formatting
If you aren’t the best writer, no sweat. Programs like Microsoft Word and LibreOffice have built-in tools to check documents for grammar and spelling errors. Spend time tending to formatting too. Using a legible font with unified spacing across signals polish and professionalism.
Double check all of these before saving the doc as a PDF and firing off your application. Not doing so is the easiest way to get your CV placed on the rejection pile.
- Long CVs are a no-no
It’s 2023, and nobody has time to go through a 10-page CV anymore. Getting the length of your resume spot on doesn’t mean having to cut some of your experience out. You simply need to give the most detail on your last two or three roles, which hiring teams are likely to focus on anyway.
As a whole, your CV should be punchy, written in short sentences. In the final read through, take out any adjectives that might come off as slightly arrogant, like “exceptional” [job title], or “world-class” this or that, as your experience will speak for itself without having to be over inflated.
- Creativity sets you apart from the rest
HR teams go through thousands of CVs every year. Many use a standard CV template the candidate found on Google. A bit of creative flair when it comes to design will help with making you stand out from the rest of the crowd.
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No matter what type of role you’re applying for, try using a modern template with colour (easy to do on a free tool like Canva). You’ll end up making an impression on the person on the receiving end, as well as injecting a bit of fun into the hiring process too.
- Two must-have summaries
The Pequin HR team believes in two summaries that will make any CV pack a punch. The first is a short summary of who you are. Be original with this - don’t default to what you think someone wants to hear. Instead, share what you are really good at, as well as what you are looking for in your next role and team.
Next, add an executive summary on the same one-pager, detailing your experiences and achievements. A recruiter or hiring manager might be on a tight deadline, glancing primarily at this to decide if you’re fit to interview. Craft three to five concise sentences at most for each of the two sections.
