Looking for a job is nothing like it was a few years ago. These days, one of the first things people do when they start job hunting is go online to look for job openings. In fact, there are many platforms where companies post their vacancies in the hope of attracting good candidates.
If you're on the other side and looking for a job rather than offering one, but haven't found anything that meets your expectations, there could be several reasons. What's clear is that you can't keep using the same strategies when they haven't produced the results you want. You could take a look at these ways to make money on Gananci so you can start earning without worrying about whether a company hires you.
If you'd also like the stability of having a company behind you, alongside earning money on your own, that's perfectly reasonable. If you've been job hunting for a while without finding anything, one of the first things to take a closer look at is your CV.
If you're qualified, eager to work and searching in the right places, the problem may well be how your CV is written. This is important to bear in mind because competition is fierce these days. More people than ever are going to university, so your CV is one way to stand out before an employer even meets you. For this and other reasons, it's important to take care when writing your CV.
To help you with this, take a look at the following recommendations for creating a strong summary that clearly communicates what you want recruiters to know:
10 tips for writing a good CV
1.- Spelling mistakes are unacceptable: they can suggest a low level of education, so do everything you can to make sure your CV contains no unnecessary or missing accent marks, that punctuation is used correctly, and that capitalization is consistent, to name just a few points.
If you know you struggle with any of these aspects of writing, take extra steps to protect yourself. For example, use an app while writing that flags potential mistakes. Then, once you've finished, ask someone with strong spelling and grammar skills to review it—and correct any errors if needed.
2.- Choose a design: it should be attractive and distinctive so it stands out from other candidates' CVs. If you use the first Word template you find, you'll show that you opted for something generic instead of adding a little creativity.
You could choose a chronological CV, laying out your education and work history along a single timeline, or write a functional CV, which describes your skills, career achievements (in the field you want to enter or a similar one), and more.
If neither of those appeals to you, a combination CV might be right for you. It combines the strengths of both formats and can be organised by formal education, work experience, courses and workshops, and other details you want to highlight.
3.- Prioritise: all the information should fit into a maximum of 2 pages. This will help ensure your CV gets read. Focus on including the most relevant information instead of padding it out to make it look more impressive.
If you have a lot to include, edit it down so only the most relevant details remain. For example, to make room for your recent work experience, you could leave out the earliest years of your education.
4.- Be selective about courses: if you're applying for a role as a Community Manager at a company, for example, there's no need to mention that you have a food-handling certificate. Include only courses relevant to the specific vacancy you're applying for.
5.- Avoid a generic CV: tailor your CV to each role you apply for, adding or removing information as needed.
6.- Go beyond work experience: also list your abilities and skills. These could include the software you're familiar with, experience you've gained in your field, and the languages you speak (with your proficiency level in each), among other things.
7.- Don't lie: recruiters are increasingly alert to false information, as studies show that a large percentage of people include false details on their CVs. It's best to tell the truth rather than risk being seen as a candidate who has to lie to stand out.
8.- Your name is the title: don't title your CV “Curriculum Vitae”—it's obvious what the document is, yet many people still make this mistake. Use your full name as the title.
9.- Never list your weaknesses: I've seen CVs where candidates list both their strengths and weaknesses—a serious mistake. A CV is meant to persuade, not give employers reasons to reject you.
10.- Don't include hobbies: remember that this is a formal document, not a dating profile, so there's no need to list your interests unless they're directly relevant to the role you want.
