CV is one of the tools that is indispensable to job seekers. It determines if you will be invited to an interview or not. So you need to make some differences in your CV for it to become an effective marketing tool for yourself.
The first step in the process of looking for a job is working on a CV. This is almost the first channel that an employer knows about your existence in the job market, so it will leave the first impression in his or her mind.
In this article, I will share the secrets of my success when submitting CV and why I always get calls later for an interview appointment. I will not talk about how to write a CV because you can learn these things on the internet. I will not repeat what you can find elsewhere. I only mention the differences to make your CV stand out and truly make a recruiter to call you.
So this is absolutely my true experience that I want to share with you.
1. Let the employer know who you are at the very first lines
The first thing you need to remember is that after writing your name in the first line of the CV, adjacent to it, you write one-line-description to position yourself as the most suitable candidate for the position at hand. For example, when I was applying for the position of an English teacher, I write this sentence underneath my name: “A professional TESOL teacher certified and approved by Cengage Learning”, or “A certified English teacher with 3 years of experience”.
The key is in any position you apply for, you write the exact title that matches the hiring position along with reputable certificates, diplomas and the number of years of experience. Of course, make sure all the information you write down is absolutely truthful.
Highlight the text because it is the first impression an employer has on you while reading your CV. The goal is to let the recruiter know you are the right candidate at first glance, they do not have to glide down the middle or bottom of the page to know who you are.
Just a brief sentence, but it alone will decide whether an employer keeps reading your CV or not. This is the same as on every poster advertising a film, just below the main title, there is a sub-headline to reveal the theme referring to the film.
2. Leveraging social media channels
Have for yourself a LinkedIn profile, a Facebook page or a Twitter account or a YouTube channel. You should enrich the content for these channels by sharing articles, images, achievements and your videos. These contents could be the moments you made a successful project, attended professional events and photos taking with your professors.
You’ll leave the link to those accounts on your CV.
And this is what you need to keep in mind when using social media:
According to a survey data from the source “Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey”1, this source said that 92% of companies worldwide recruit employees through Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Employers will silently take a look at the websites of potential candidates without noticing them beforehand.
This shows that a positive online image is thoroughly important.
Also, the above source said that:
What you share on social networks will make others have a positive or negative judgement about you. I give you a few figures as following:
- 47% of viewers react negatively to pictures of alcohol, beer.
- 78% of viewers react negatively to images of amphetamine, banned substances.
- 66% of viewers react negatively to depraved imagery.
- 61% of viewers react negatively to profanity, insulting word.
- 54% of viewers react negatively to misspelled writing.
At the same time,
- 80% of viewers react positively when you are a member of a company, professional and prestigious organization.
- 66% of viewers react positively when you are a volunteer and contribute to a charity program.
3. Have an online CV
According to my experience, this is a very good site for you to make an online CV: https://www.visualcv.com/
Why do you need an online CV?
Because you may present your expertise with a better look. You have more space to express your talent. Especially you can easily update, modify over time. This is also a way for you to store your CV. You can access the link anywhere to view or update your CV. In addition, this is also a tool for the employers to find you when they search on Google.
4. Testimonials
During your campus life at school, take advantage of every opportunity to get testimonials from others about you.
Testimonials may come from teachers, friends and companies you have an internship. Then ask for their permission to quote their sayings on your CV.