PREPARING TOWARDS GETTING A GOOD JOB - Final Word

Sequel to my previous write-up and drawing from Dagunro’s valid comment, I intend to drop the necessary points which I believe can help your CV stand out from amongst the million.

When I first applied for a position in an engineering firm, I always wondered what went wrong. Why was I not given the necessary attention? Looking back in time now I see I was the architect of my own folly.

Getting to the main point, in preparing your CV, you need to realise the CV is going to be doing the talking on your behalf, therefore, you should realise that how you say what you say in your CV matters.

8) ‘Looking good is good business’ – This does not just apply to how you dress but your entire presentation. How does your CV look? Is it something that will draw attention? Is it unique? Is it different from the pack? The entire layout of your CV should be gentle to the eye, yet attracting. Format your CV in a well spaced manner, usually using font style Verdana size 10. Tabulate the lines accordingly, leaving headers to the left and explaining yourself on the right. In other words, ‘University of Sokoto’ on the left and Bachelor of Art (BA) on the right. It also helps to state key modules/courses (without the course code) you did that are relevant to the position you are applying for.

This brings me to the next point.

Ok, your CV looks good, but what do you have in it? Does it just have your name, address, school and names of references? If your answer is yes, then we’ve got a problem here. These information are important and should always appear on your CV but that shouldn’t be all. I am certain all of you will be disappointed to buy a nice portion of cow leg to go with your meal and to find out it is just bone!!! >:( Does your CV have meat? Is there anything in it that the recruiter can feast on? If you have never worked professionally before, there are other non work-related experiences that you can draw on in life that you can add to your CV specifically for the purpose of that job that should interest the recruiter. Well, you sell spare parts for your elder brother while searching for a good job. That is in itself, a wealth of experience.
‘You are in charge of a business that has a net worth of =N= ‘X00, 000.00 and you manage it well, dealing regularly with sales, customer enquiry (pricing of goods) and ensuring sales targets are continuously met and exceeded.’ – This is meat to a very lean CV. I know of a guy who worked for Schlumberger in Stavanger, Norway and part of the reason for employing him was because he used to weld for his uncle in Olodi, Apapa back in the days.

There will be keywords within your CV that will mean something to your prospective employer. Take for example, my first instance on the spare parts seller. If he were to apply for a job within the banking sector, he can pick words like Manage, business, customer enquiry, targets, exceeded. If these words are bolded on his CV, they can draw the attention of an HR person and instantly spark a curiosity about him. Identify keywords that are relevant to the job and make them bold on your CV, anyone who does not read the whole document must be attracted to the word that has been bolded. That is what should sell you. That is the meat within your CV that should interest the recruiter.

Also do not make unnecessary statements within your CV. Say only things that you feel should be important to the company. It also helps to find out what the company does, or what the role entails and how you can fit in then what you can offer. Having identified what you can offer, this should be the foundation of your CV. Build the CV to show them that is what you can offer them. The implication is that for different jobs there will be different CVs. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s just you saying the same thing about you in different ways. Its just you saying you can do different things for different requirements. However, never mention what you cannot defend – you will only undo yourself in the process. :-[

That’s what I can add for now, anyone with more ideas, advice or even corrections can make an input. I’m still riding my learning curve and would want to learn more myself :) Also note that this piece is for the guy who does not have or know anybody (who can help) in the company he is applying to and is doing his best and leaving it to God to do the rest. It’s not a biblical saying but ‘Heaven help those who help themselves’. This is the little you can do, just do it!!!! ;)