Useful tips for jobs seekers!
1. Never start your CV with “Curriculum Vitae”. Start with your name boldly written with a larger font.
2. Ensure the address on your CV is the same with the location of the job. It will make interviewers consider you faster. For e.g., if the job is in Johannesburg, apply with a Joburg address. If you don’t stay in the same location, look for someone you know that uses the same location.
3. Don’t use childish email address. Use an email address with your name. Don’t use an email address such as sexybecky4u2luv@gmail.com. It says a lot about your maturity and professionalism. You can use tshegokgokolo@gmail.com. If the name is already taken, add some numbers, e.g. tshegokgokolo236@gmail.com
4. Under personal data or profile: Some entities like date of birth, state and nationality are not compulsory. As a matter of fact, if the age they need doesn’t favor you, just take off your date of birth. Keep the interviewer in doubt. Rather sell your skills.
5. Under educational background and dates, simply write your school, your course of study and then the year you graduated. Take off the year you got admission.
Some people started school in 2005 and graduated in 2012 for a 4-year course. It might not be their fault, but employers wouldn’t take it that way since you’re not there to defend it. So write out only graduation year.
Also, there’s no need for your grade (First class, 2.1, 2.2, etc. Just take it off.
6. Specific certification is another area that’s making people lose out of the job search in recent times. Under this section, most people don’t have what to put and it pisses off most employers.
It means you haven’t done much to add value to yourself. If you are a fresh graduate, try to do one or two short courses while at university like MS-EXCEL, SPSS, PASTEL, QUICKBOOKS, etc., else you will be submitting what we call a blank CV’.
For those working, you can use your weekends to achieve the same. It will help you in your next job search.
7. As part of your work experience, you are expected to indicate where you worked, your job description and your responsibilities.
If you are not working in the company, write down your responsibilities in the past. The current workplace may be written in the present.
8. However, all of your work experiences should not be on your CV, except for the one related to the job you are applying for. This makes your resume short.
9. Under your reference(s), please provide the name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of your reference.
You can also use your family member as your reference, but ensure you don’t use the same surname. Also, ensure your references are aware that you are using them as references.
10. An ideal resume must be black and white uncolored except for these occasions: If you are applying as a graphic designer and you want to wow your employer, or when your CV has the logo of the company you’ve worked before under your job experience.
11. Never forward a CV from your inbox to another employer. Open and compose a new email, then upload your resume and submit.
12. When sending your CV, make sure the subject carries the role you are applying for.
13. Do not save your CV on your laptop or telephone as ‘My CV’ or modified CV’. Simply save it with your full name, e.g Mavhungu Dakalo.
14. When sending your résumé, do not leave the email page empty. Copy your cover letter and post on the email page. Forget the usual ‘Sir, kindly find attached herewith for you.
By Blessings Ramoba
