Keep it Short and Simple
You'd want to keep your cv short, include only significant and job-relevant information on one page.
Always customize your cv writing to a specific job application because each role may have different requirements.
Leave out irrelevant information and only provide those during interview Q & A.
Profile
A lot of people tend to ignore the importance of having a personal profile on a CV - do not make the same mistake.
A personal profile is a brief summary of your career objective, for the position you're applying for.
Very significant section to have at the top of the page in your CV.
Contact Information
It's important how you structure your contact information while writing your CV. Include only your contact number, email address, physical address, and optionally, LinkedIn name.
To keep it short, include the short version of your physical address - for example Johannesburg, South Africa. We're living in an era where candidates receive communication quickly via email and not post mails.
Work Experience
Always include the work experience or history in your cv writing, companies are forever looking for experienced candidates.
Customize this section to a specific and respective job role, to avoid giving disadvantaged information.
Ensure the content or structure of this section includes dates of your previous and current employment.
Try to structure the experience section like this:
- Content Writing Specialist, 2009 - 2012
- Strictly Mashashane
- Achievements: Employee of the month
Education
Another important section for your cv. Remember nowadays, CVs are being automatically screened by systems such as the Application Tracking Systems (ATS).
This systems scan and look for any relevant information on your resume and score against job descriptions.
Try to structure the education section like this:
- Content Writing Essentials, Degree
- Strictly Mashashane University
- 2009 - 2012
Professional Skills
List all your skills, starting with the strong ones you specialize in.
One of our cv templates uses levels for your skills, if you prefer, this approach will boost your chances of understanding your cv.
As recommended, always customize your cv to a job description. This means you must include some of the skills as listed in the description, to pass the ATS system on the other side.
Personal Attributes
Often people mix attributes with skills but we recommend breaking this further down.
Create a list of personal attributes such as the following:
- Good communication
- Analytical Leader
- Innovative
- Reliable
- Driven
# Reference
You've got two options here:
- Add relevant references
- Available on demand
Depending on the job description, please customize this section based on your instincts - completely up to you.
But this section is required and important to include in your CV. This will help employers verify your credentials.
# Conclusion
Having the above-listed section on your CV in that order will increase your chances of getting called for an interview over other applicants.
Include only the important and required information and the rest will be discussed later during interview processes.
All the best in your next job application with revamped and a well-written CV - Good Luck!