Preparation Tips
Applying the following points will increase your chances of success and limit your rejections.
- Relevance - a résumé that is relevant to a particular role or potential opportunity is probably the number one priority
- Emphasise key roles you have held rather than a simple list of previous positions you have held
- Develop a résumé that expresses clearly what your track record is, rather than just a log of responsibilities you had
- Make the résumé "outcome focused" with either qualitative or quantitative achievements documented
- Work in reverse chronological order when presenting your career history
- Use appropriate headings and keep the least important details at the back of the résumé
- HR practitioners, recruiters and line managers, screen résumés with 10-30 seconds, so give priority to the most important points up front
- The mark of a well-structured résumé is where the decision-makers can assess you on the first page of your résumé and treat the rest of the résumé supplementary reading
- Use bolding for headings
- Use bullet points to outline responsibilities and achievements
- Make sure what you write in a résumé is supportable and can be validated at both interview and reference check stage
- Keep it succinct and relevant
- Be honest and factual
Tips For an Electronic CV
- Always create as plain text so it can be recognised by all platforms
- Left-justify the text as scanners read from left to right
- Put your name at the top of every page
- When emailing your résumé, avoid fancy fonts, tables etc and save it as a document with a cover letter attached as part of the document