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Tag: CV

  • Five reasons networking may outshine great CV in competitive job market

    Five reasons networking may outshine great CV in competitive job market

    In today’s fast-evolving job landscape, having a well-written Curriculum Vitae (CV) is important, but it’s no longer enough. Building and nurturing professional relationships through networking has become a more powerful strategy for career advancement.

    Unlike a CV, which offers a static overview of your qualifications, networking opens doors to real-time opportunities—ranging from job referrals and mentorship to valuable industry insights.

    Here’s why networking often outshines the CV in the race for professional growth:

    1. Networking builds trust and personal connections

    A CV lists your credentials but lacks the ability to convey your personality or build trust. Networking allows you to connect directly with industry professionals, recruiters, or hiring managers, creating a human connection that makes you memorable. People are more likely to hire or recommend someone they’ve met and trust over an anonymous resume, no matter how impressive.

    For example, a recruiter you meet at a conference may remember your enthusiasm and expertise from a conversation, giving you an edge when opportunities arise. A CV can’t showcase your charisma or cultural fit and qualities that often tip the scales in hiring decisions.

    2. Access to the hidden job market

    Many jobs are never advertised, forming the “hidden job market.” Estimates suggest 70-80% of roles are filled through referrals or internal networks rather than public postings. Networking gives you access to these unadvertised opportunities by connecting you with insiders who can share leads or recommend you directly.

    A CV submitted online often competes with hundreds of others, easily getting lost in applicant tracking systems (ATS). Networking bypasses this by putting you in direct contact with decision-makers, increasing your chances of being considered for exclusive roles.

    3. Showcasing soft skills in action

    A CV highlights technical skills and achievements but struggles to convey soft skills like communication, adaptability, or emotional intelligence, qualities employers highly value. Networking provides a platform to demonstrate these skills naturally. Whether through a confident introduction, a thoughtful question at a panel, or a professional follow-up, you can show your interpersonal abilities in real-time.

    Read Also: Team Sacvin wins Foundation for Cancer Care Golf Tourney

    For instance, engaging in industry meetups or online forums lets you display your ability to collaborate and articulate ideas, leaving a stronger impression than a resume’s bullet points.

    4. Tailored opportunities through relationships

    Networking allows you to learn about specific opportunities that align with your goals. Conversations with industry contacts can reveal upcoming projects, company needs, or roles tailored to your unique skills. Unlike a CV, which is a one-size-fits-all document, networking lets you position yourself as the right fit for specific opportunities through personalized interactions.

    For example, a contact might inform you about a role that hasn’t been formalised yet, allowing you to tailor your pitch before the job is posted. This proactive approach often leads to opportunities that a CV alone would never uncover.

    5. Long-term career benefits

    Networking isn’t just about immediate job prospects; it builds a web of relationships that support your career over time. Mentors, peers, and industry contacts can provide advice, endorsements, or introductions years down the line. A CV, while useful, is a snapshot that becomes outdated and doesn’t foster ongoing support.

    For instance, a mentor you meet through networking might guide you through career transitions or connect you with key players in your field, offering benefits far beyond what a resume can achieve.

    However, while a CV remains an essential tool for presenting your qualifications, networking is the key to unlocking opportunities that a resume alone cannot access. 

    By building trust, accessing hidden opportunities, showcasing soft skills, and fostering tailored, long-term connections, networking offers a dynamic and human-centered approach to career success. 

    In a world where relationships drive progress, investing time in networking is not just better than a CV, it’s indispensable.

  • Will NYSC CV/jobs portal deliver?

    Will NYSC CV/jobs portal deliver?

    Stakeholders are excited by the launch of a CV jobs portal by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). They say it will provide opportunities for corps members because of its data gathering potential. But there is need for continuous collaboration between NYSC and its partners to strengthen the deal, reports KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE.

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and some partners have launched a CV bank and jobs portal (nyscjobs.org) for Corps members.

    The portal allows Corps members to upload their curriculum vitae (CV) and employers to post vacancies and screen candidates.

    It was developed by the NYSC’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) in conjunction with Diamond Bank, Dragnet, Blogme, Gr8tjobs.ng and Sigma Pensions.

    Speaking at the event, NYSC Director-General, Brig Gen Suleiman Kazaure expressed the hope that the platform would boost the chances of Corps members in getting a job faster.

    “Despite the obvious difficulty of securing white collar jobs and the overriding benefits of self-employment, a good number of our graduates are still inclined to trying their lucks with paid employment. This is why management considers it appropriate to buy into the idea of helping corps members to package themselves for employability in the highly competitive labour market.

    “The portal we are launching today will, among other benefits, serve as a platform for Corps members to get information on job vacancies and market themselves to prospective employers, serve as a large pool for employers searching for suitable candidates, and provides means of verification of credentials,” he said.

    With last Friday’s launch, the portal became a national platform for corps members serving in the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to showcase their skills and experience.

    The initiative is a product of many years’ labour.  In an interview with The Nation, the NYSC State coordinator, Prince Mohammed Momoh, said the idea was first suggested by some corps members who tried to implement it but were limited by the one-year tenure of the service and technical expertise required.

    SAED Assistant Director Mrs Rachael Idaewor said the involvement of private sector partners gave life to the idea.

     

    Value for corps members

    The CV and Jobs portal allows corps members to register, upload their CVs and update with skills, certifications and experiences they acquire in the first two years after graduation.  Me Baba Ikazaboh, Managing Director of Dragnet, said corps members would do themselves a disservice if they did not make good use of the opportunity.

    “There are 350,000 corpers also responsible for making it successful.  They need to almost on a daily or weekly basis be on the portal updating their CVs,” he said.

    He also said with employers knowing the platform is specifically for corps members, they (corps members) could be sure of job vacancies that would not require long years of experience that they would not have.  He added that the partners have also ensured that vacancies are dated and removed when old so corps members do not apply for taken jobs.

    The portal also allows corps members to post short videos that encapsulate their skills, competencies, experiences and qualifications.  Mr Andre Ugbebor of Blogme who did a presentation on the Video CV feature, said it gives the corps members a face that allows employers to make better decisions about the kind of candidates they are looking for.

    Mr Arek Bawa, managing director of Blogme, said it was an ultimate opportunity for corps members to put their best foot forward.

    “You need to distinguish yourselves; you need a platform to show off so employers notice you.  Employers know about your knowledge.  But what other skills do you have?  What aer your soft skills?  Are you a team player?  Do you have problem solving skills?

    Lauding the initiative and partnership, head, Retail Banking, Diamond Bank, Robert Hill, said the portal was a good response to what young people wanted based on research by the bank.

    “The youths are really important to us. We cannot ignore 60 per cent of the population. They are the people we need to be helping. It is great to see the NYSC helping youths to showcase themselves,” he said.

     

    Value for Employers

    At the click of a button, the portal gives employers access to a database of over 350,000 fresh talents for entry-level jobs at no cost.

    They are allowed to register, submit company profiles, post job vacancies and filter according to their specific requirements.

    Mrs Omomene Odike, CEO of Gr8tjobs.ng, said the portal addressed the yearnings of recruiters who had sought for years a veritable database of qualified graduates.

    To her, it is a shift from the analogue way of doing things to embrace the advantages technology can offer.

    She said: “Being an entrepreneur on my own and also a top recruiting firm, it is always very difficult to have data.  People complain in Nigeria we need jobs, but at the end of the day we don’t have one central database.  You get them in bits and pieces and at the end of the day, some of them are outdated such that by the time you call them you find out that they have been in the system for over 10 years so they are not even entry level but they don’t have jobs. But this CV portal and NYSC initiative means once people just graduate from school, it means they are fresh, it means they have just entered the system.

    “So it is a very clean way and very structured way for us to have candidates that are just coming into the work force and of course a database that we can verify because nobody who is not a corps member could actually register because you have also have to register with your NYSC codes.  It is huge and we don’t have to scratch our brains go everywhere looking for candidates to employ.”

    While the big recruiters are excited by the huge data the portal would generage, Ikazaboh said the value for small-scale employers was even more as they would not have to pay so much to get qualified people to run their businesses.  He urged even corps members starting businesses to use the platform to recruit workers.

    “Employers need to be on the portal to put your vacancies there.  It doesn’t cost you money.  For the SMEs that are just starting up you cannot afford expensive recruitment companies.  Here is a portal that allows you do it free.  Use it; save some cost,” he said.

     

    Is success certain?

    Parties to the deal, the NYSC, employers and Corps members, have lauded the initiative.  However, whether it will fulfil its potential as such is another matter.

    Mrs Odike said without all partners playing their roles, the portal would not come alive.

    “This portal will eliminate waste of time and paperwork. But all three stakeholders must play their parts – the corps members must upload their CVs, the NYSC must sustain the portal, and the employers must post job vacancies. Technology does not work on its own. It is people that make technology work,” she said.

    Ikazaboh added: “It is really team work – employers, the employees and the NYSC – that is what will make it work.”

    Awareness about the portal among corps members, especially Batch B, who completed their orientation on Monday, is still low.  About five corps members interviewed by The Nation in Lagos said they knew nothing about the portal.

    However, older corps members said they were aware.  One of them, Marvelous Ehima, said they had been told to register.

    “They told us about it.  I have not registered but I intend to do so.

    Mrs Idaewor said the corps members would be encouraged to upload their CVs.

    She promised to ensure that corps members signed up.

  • Reinforcing your CV with a persuasive cover letter

    Beyond packaging a great curriculum vitae (CV), you also need the reinforcement of a persuasive cover or application letter to boost your chances of being invited for a job interview. A cover letter, variedly called letter of application, letter of introduction, transmittal letter and broadcast letter is a letter that no wise job-seeker should send his or her CV without.

    A cover letter is an important job search tool. Its purpose is to attract attention to you and prove your suitability for a job. The cover letter is also where you state why you are interested in the job or the company. Findings show that only few employers seriously consider a CV that is not accompanied by a cover letter; thus, a dynamically persuasive cover letter needs to be part of your job-search strategy.

     

    ICT-induced competition

    It is a known fact that the world is now a global village occasioned by the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) explosion. The implication of the ICT explosion is that there is now increased competition in business, job-search, etc., as more awareness is created. Also, as opposed to what obtained in those days in Nigeria when jobs were waiting for applicants, applicants now go through a rigorous process to get jobs.

    The import of this is that the era of packaging a chronological CV or writing a passive and informative cover or application letter is gone and you now need the creativity of persuasive communication to write your letter and stand out from the crowd. Even business people need to write a persuasive proposal to stand out and win business.

    I deployed this skill to write proposals to MTN and Union Bank in 2011 and the corporate communications managers then were so impressed that they called and commended me.

     

    Persuasion

    If we now need persuasive communication in job search and business transactions, what then is persuasion? Persuasion can be variedly defined. At one level of definition, it is conceived as the process by which a communicator tries to influence the attitudes, values, belief system or action of his or her listener(s) or audience.

    Simply put, it is about convincing people. It is noteworthy that the beginning of successful persuasion is to build trust and credibility so that you can be accorded attention by your audience or recipient(s). That is, you need to quickly include information about them to show you have knowledge of their operations.

    As an applicant, for example, you need to quickly show some knowledge about the company you are applying to by including something like, “It is impressive that since you started operation in Nigeria on 15th May, 1990….”; “It is commendable that you made a profit after tax of N- million in your last financial year….”, etc.

    Another thing you do in persuasion is to concentrate on issues that are important to your audience. For instance, focus on how you will contribute to the productivity and profitability of the organisation not on benefits you hope to get upon employment.

    Note: We will X-ray components of a persuasive cover letter later in this discourse.

     

    Benefits

    A cover letter is so important because a CV is useless to an employer if he or she does not know the kind of job you are seeking, especially if you do not have a (combined chronological) functional CV that shows the kind of job you like in the objective section. A persuasive cover letter tells the prospective employer the type of position you are seeking and how you are qualified for that position.

    It highlights the aspects of your experience that are most useful to the prospective employer, and you can earn points for knowing what those aspects are. There is no disputing the fact that prospective employers receive a lot of CVs, especially when they advertise a (vacant) position. These employers are also very busy.

    Often the person screening CVs skims through each for just a few seconds. Your cover letter can draw attention to the skills, talents and experience the prospective employer is looking for. Your letter can explain things that your CV cannot. If you have large gaps in your employment history or you are re-entering the job market or changing the focus of your career, a cover letter can explain these circumstances in a positive way.

     

    Comparison of function

    A cover letter can serve the same function as the Objective part of your CV, and expatiate on it. Some applicants are reluctant to “limit” themselves by putting an Objective in their CV. It is better for a job-seeker to target the type of job being specifically looked for and  you may be open to more than one option. As I said during the CV discourse, you can have different CVs targeting different jobs.

     

    You can simply have your CV on the computer and just adapt it to fit the requirements of each job you are applying for. Note that your CV is not a record of your life history that is already fixed, so you can adapt it (CV) as you like. A cover letter is a little window into your personality. A well-composed cover letter can suggest to a prospective employer that you are just the right type of dynamic person the company is looking for.

     

    Cover letter contents

    A typical cover letter contains address(es), salutation, etc.

     

    Addresses: You will write two addresses. That is, your personal address and that of the recipient.

     

    Salutation: Here, guard against the error that may manifest as a result of jumping into conclusion about the recipient’s sex based on the name. Try to confirm the sex of whoever you are asked to direct your letter to in the advert, especially if you are only given the designation. However, experts suggest that in the event of not being able to confirm the sex, or get the real name of the recipient, use Dear Sir/Madam. If it is a female real name that is involved and you are not sure of the marital status, use Dear Ms. You can also use Dear Madam for the unknown female recipient.

    You will also include the heading or title, introduction, body containing paragraphs as well as the conclusion. We will continue with this discourse next week.

     

    PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Business Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated here for details.

     

    GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

     

    Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425

    Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com

    Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

  • Reinforcing your CV with a persuasive cover letter

    Reinforcing your CV with a persuasive cover letter

    Beyond packaging a great curriculum vitae (CV), you also need the reinforcement of a persuasive cover or application letter to boost your chances of being invited for a job interview. A cover letter, variedly called letter of application, letter of introduction, transmittal letter and broadcast letter is a letter that no wise job-seeker should send his or her CV without.

    A cover letter is an important job search tool. Its purpose is to attract attention to you and prove your suitability for a job. The cover letter is also where you state why you are interested in the job or the company. Findings show that only few employers seriously consider a CV that is not accompanied by a cover letter; thus, a dynamically persuasive cover letter needs to be part of your job-search strategy.

     

    ICT-induced competition

    It is a known fact that the world is now a global village occasioned by the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) explosion. The implication of the ICT explosion is that there is now increased competition in business, job-search, etc., as more awareness is created. Also, as opposed to what obtained in those days in Nigeria when jobs were waiting for applicants, applicants now go through a rigorous process to get jobs.

    The import of this is that the era of packaging a chronological CV or writing a passive and informative cover or application letter is gone and you now need the creativity of persuasive communication to write your letter and stand out from the crowd. Even business people need to write a persuasive proposal to stand out and win business.

    I deployed this skill to write proposals to MTN and Union Bank in 2011 and the corporate communications managers then were so impressed that they called and commended me.

     

    Persuasion

    If we now need persuasive communication in job search and business transactions, what then is persuasion? Persuasion can be variedly defined. At one level of definition, it is conceived as the process by which a communicator tries to influence the attitudes, values, belief system or action of his or her listener(s) or audience.

    Simply put, it is about convincing people. It is noteworthy that the beginning of successful persuasion is to build trust and credibility so that you can be accorded attention by your audience or recipient(s). That is, you need to quickly include information about them to show you have knowledge of their operations.

    As an applicant, for example, you need to quickly show some knowledge about the company you are applying to by including something like, “It is impressive that since you started operation in Nigeria on 15th May, 1990….”; “It is commendable that you made a profit after tax of N- million in your last financial year….”, etc.

    Another thing you do in persuasion is to concentrate on issues that are important to your audience. For instance, focus on how you will contribute to the productivity and profitability of the organisation not on benefits you hope to get upon employment.

    Note: We will X-ray components of a persuasive cover letter later in this discourse.

     

    Benefits

    A cover letter is so important because a CV is useless to an employer if he or she does not know the kind of job you are seeking, especially if you do not have a (combined chronological) functional CV that shows the kind of job you like in the objective section. A persuasive cover letter tells the prospective employer the type of position you are seeking and how you are qualified for that position.

    It highlights the aspects of your experience that are most useful to the prospective employer, and you can earn points for knowing what those aspects are. There is no disputing the fact that prospective employers receive a lot of CVs, especially when they advertise a (vacant) position. These employers are also very busy.

    Often the person screening CVs skims through each for just a few seconds. Your cover letter can draw attention to the skills, talents and experience the prospective employer is looking for. Your letter can explain things that your CV cannot. If you have large gaps in your employment history or you are re-entering the job market or changing the focus of your career, a cover letter can explain these circumstances in a positive way.

     

    Comparison of function

    A cover letter can serve the same function as the Objective part of your CV, and expatiate on it. Some applicants are reluctant to “limit” themselves by putting an Objective in their CV. It is better for a job-seeker to target the type of job being specifically looked for and  you may be open to more than one option. As I said during the CV discourse, you can have different CVs targeting different jobs.

     

    You can simply have your CV on the computer and just adapt it to fit the requirements of each job you are applying for. Note that your CV is not a record of your life history that is already fixed, so you can adapt it (CV) as you like. A cover letter is a little window into your personality. A well-composed cover letter can suggest to a prospective employer that you are just the right type of dynamic person the company is looking for.

     

    Cover letter contents

    A typical cover letter contains address(es), salutation, etc.

     

    Addresses: You will write two addresses. That is, your personal address and that of the recipient.

     

    Salutation: Here, guard against the error that may manifest as a result of jumping into conclusion about the recipient’s sex based on the name. Try to confirm the sex of whoever you are asked to direct your letter to in the advert, especially if you are only given the designation. However, experts suggest that in the event of not being able to confirm the sex, or get the real name of the recipient, use Dear Sir/Madam. If it is a female real name that is involved and you are not sure of the marital status, use Dear Ms. You can also use Dear Madam for the unknown female recipient.

    You will also include the heading or title, introduction, body containing paragraphs as well as the conclusion. We will continue with this discourse next week.

     

    PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Business Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated here for details.

     

    GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

     Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425

    Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com

    Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

  • Caging unemployment with your CV

    Caging unemployment with your CV

    Last week, we X-rayed chronological and func-tional types of CV. This week, we will end the discourse by examining the third type called Combined Chronological Functional.

     

    Combined chronological functional CV

    A combined CV includes elements of both the chronological and functional formats. It may be a shorter chronology of job descriptions preceded by a short “Skills and Accomplishments” section (or with a longer Summary including a skills list or a list of “qualifications”); or, it may be a standard functional CV with the accomplishments under headings of different jobs held. There are obvious advantages to this combined approach. It maximises the advantages of both kinds of CVs, avoiding potential disadvantages of either type. One negligible disadvantage is that it tends to be longer.

     

    Better CV-presentation guidelines

    Your CV should be visually enticing. It should be simple and clean. It should be very easy-to-read, un-crowded and balanced. Include as much white space between every two sections of writing as possible. The sections of writing should not be longer than six lines. Make maximum use of italics, capital letters, bullets, boldface, and underlining, with uniformity and consistency. Employ total parallelism or uniformity in design decisions. For instance, if a full-stop is at the end of one job’s date, a period should be at the end of all jobs’ dates; if a degree is in boldface, all degrees should be in boldface.

    Remember to think of the CV as an advertisement. Make sure it is error-free.

    All the basic, expected information is included. A CV must have the following key information: your name, address, and phone number (immediately identifiable and at the very top of the first page), a listing of all jobs held since beginning your career, in reverse chronological order, educational degrees including the highest degree received, in reverse chronological order. Additionally, targeted information will of course accompany this. Much of the information people commonly put on a CV can be omitted but these pieces of information are mandatory.

     

    Main focus

    A CV should be targeted towards your goal, to the ideal next step in your career. Highlight your strengths and de-emphasise your weaknesses. Focus on whatever is most impressive. Make careful and strategic choices as to how to organise, order and convey your skills and background. Make liberal use of words. For every skill, ability or accomplishment described, use the most active and accurate verb you can think of. Keep sentences as short and direct as possible.

    Eliminate any extraneous information and any repetition. Do not use four examples when one or two are okay. Say what you want to say in the most direct words possible, instead of trying to impress with bigger words or more complex sentences. You also need to vary long sentences, if necessary, with short and punchy sentences. It is better to employ phrases rather than full sentences when phrases are possible, and start sentences with verbs, eliminating pronouns, e.g. I, We, You, He, She, They, etc.

     

    Addition

    Vary words, do not repeat a verb or adjective in the same paragraph. Use commas liberally, to clarify meaning and make reading easier. Remain consistent in writing decisions, for example, the use of abbreviations and capitalisation. As far as CV length is concerned, everyone freely offers advice on what it should be.

    Some say a CV should always be one page, while others say a CV can be as many pages as you want long if you can sustain the prospective employer’s reading interest for so long, and at the same time create excitement that makes him or her pick up his or her phone and call you for an interview.  However, it is better not to follow length rules blindly. Instead, do what works. Sometimes, it is appropriate to have a three-page CV. But, unless your life has been filled with a wide variety of extraordinary achievements, make your CV short.

     

    Length of consulting CV

    In a consulting CV, you are expected to dig everything as deep as you possibly can. If you are selling your own consulting service, make it sizzle, just like any other CV. Additionally, include a little more detail, such as a list of well-known clients, powerful quotes from former clients about how fantastic you are, etc.

    If you are seeking a job with a consulting firm that will be packaging you along with others as part of a proposal, include everything that makes up your intellectual strength and profile. You can include a full list of publications, skills, assignments, other experience, and every bit of educational achievements you can, that have something to do with your work. The philosophy here is: the more the better. CVs can be written using either the first- or the third-person verb tense.

    Use whichever you choose consistently. Verb tenses are varied and based on accurate reporting.  If the accomplishment is completed, it should be past tense. If the task is still underway, it should be present tense. If the skill is something which has been used and will continue to be used, use present tense. A way of “smoothing out” transitions is to use the present perfect tense. Be sure the telephone number on the CV will, without exception, be answered by a person or an answering machine. I am sure you do not want to miss an interview just because of lack of response when you are called on phone. Include e-mail and fax numbers, if you have them.

     

    Choosing references

    Before you choose a person as one of your references, you need to seek his or her consent. It is very risky to take this for granted. Equally ask whoever volunteers to be your reference about the address and phone number he or she wants you to use for him or her. Thank a reference for the time spared with you in your meeting and for agreeing to act as your reference. Make sure you keep in touch with him or her constantly even after securing the job. Concluded.

     

    PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Business Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated here for details.

     

    GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

     

    Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425

    Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com

    Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

  • Wriggling out of unemployment with your CV (II)

    Wriggling out of unemployment with your CV (II)

    Last week, we said many graduates are searching for  jobs without success because they are ignorant about how to package their curriculum vitae (CV). We added that your CV has a persuasive purpose and it is basically an advertisement. We said as such, you must be clear on what the employer is looking for and what you have to offer before you begin your CV.

    In writing your CV, you need to organise your thinking such that you will be able to see some new connections between what you have done and what the employer is looking for. You need not confine yourself to work-related accomplishments. Therefore, base your composition on your entire life accomplishments. The essence of this is to cover all the talents you bring to the market place. If you are making a career change or are a young person and new to the job market, you are going to be especially creative in getting across what makes you stand out.  One important part of the planning process is to decide which CV format fits your needs best. Do not automatically assume that a traditional format will work best for you.

    Segmentation

    There are three types of CVs, and these are chronological, functional and combined chronological functional. The most effective one is the combined chronological functional CV that takes care of the combined deficiencies of chronological and functional CVs. A great CV has two sections. In the first section, you make assertions about your abilities, qualities and achievements. The second section, the evidence section, is where you back up your assertions with evidence that you actually did what you said you did.

    This is where you list and describe the jobs you have held, your education, etc. Most CVs contain the evidence section without assertions. The assertions section usually has two or three sections. In all of them, your job is to assert that you are the best candidate for the job. You start by naming your intended job. This may be in a separate Objective section, or may be woven into the second section, the Summary. If you are making a change to a new field, or are a young person not fully established in a career, start with a separate Objective section.

     

    Assertions Section

     

    (A) Objective

    Targeting your CV requires that you should be completely clear about your career direction. The way to demonstrate your clarity of direction is to make the first major topic of your CV be your objective section. Suppose the owner of a newspaper house puts an advert in the paper looking for an experienced sales person. Then later, the company receives 800 CVs. The applicants have different backgrounds.

    The recruiting person has no way of knowing whether any of them is really interested in selling the company’s product. He or she remembers they have all applied for a job they do not really want. He or she knows that many of the CVs received are from people who are just casting their seeds to the winds. Then, he or she comes across a CV in the pile that starts with the following: “OBJECTIVE: To work as a sales person in a reputable media organisation where an extraordinary record of exceeding sales target and excellent customer relations would be needed.”

    Magnetic effect

    This will automatically attract his or her attention. It works well because the prospective employer is smart enough to know that someone who wants to do exactly what he or she is offering will be much more likely to succeed than someone who does not. And, he or she (the applicant) will probably be a lot more pleasant to work with as well. Also, this candidate has done a good job of establishing why he or she is the best candidate in the first sentence. It is noteworthy that even when people are clever enough to have an objective, they often make the mistake of composing a selfish objective such as, “To work as X in an organisation where I can hone my skills….” The employer is interested in hiring you for what you can do for him or her, not for fulfilling your personal goals and agenda.

    To write your objective, therefore, you first of all decide on a specific job title for your objective. Go back to your list of answers to the question, How can I demonstrate that I am the best candidate? as suggested earlier. What are the two or three qualities, abilities or achievements that would make a candidate stand out as truly exceptional for that specific job?

    Understanding

    The person in the above example understands that the prospective employer would be very much interested in candidates having the ability to exceed sales targets, generate new accounts and effectively relate with customers. Therefore, he or she makes that the very first and convincing point of the CV. Ensure that the objective is to the point. Experts such as Nicholas Lore, an international career management coach say it is better to avoid fluffy phrases which are obvious or do not mean anything, such as, “Allowing the ability to enhance potential and utilise experience in new challenges.” The objective may be broad and still somewhat be vague in some cases, e.g. “A senior-level management position in the banking industry”.

    Effectiveness

    Having an objective statement that is really catching is the best.  One format is:

     

    “OBJECTIVE: An X position in an organisation where Y and Z would be needed.” X refers to the name of the position you are looking for. Y and Z are the most unique qualities, abilities or achievements that will really make you stand out from a crowd of applicants. The research previously done, to find out what is most important to the employer will provide the information to fill in Y and Z.

    If you are actually not sure of the type of job you are looking for, adapt your CV to each type of job you apply for. There is nothing wrong with having several different CVs, each with a different objective, specifically composed for a different type of position. This is so because you are only writing an advertising copy, not your life story that is objectively fixed.

    Annex

    You may or may not need to use a separate Objective section if you are looking for a job in your present field. You may just include your Objective in your Summary section. The point of using an Objective is to create a specific psychological response in the mind of the reader. If you are making a career change or are a young person, you want the employer to immediately focus on where you are going, rather than where you have been. If you are looking for another job in your present field, it is more important to stress your qualities, achievements and abilities first.

    The following are a few examples of the separate objective section:

    • A mid-level position in the insurance industry where a background in public relations would be needed.
    • An English language teaching position where a special ability to motivate and communicate effectively with students would be required.

    (B) The summary part

    The Summary (of qualifications) segment consists of several concise statements that focus the reader’s attention on the most important qualities, achievements and abilities you have to offer. Those qualities should be the most compelling demonstration of why you should be employed at the expense of other candidates. We will continue next week.

    PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Business Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated here for details.

    GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

     

    Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425

    Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com

    Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

  • Wriggling out of unemployment with your CV

    Wriggling out of unemployment with your CV

    Given the latest report by
    the National Bureau of
    Statistics (NBS) regarding the worsening employment situation in the country, we have decided to discuss relevant employment solutions as a guide to the different types of employment challenges contained in the report. We will discuss job-search and self-employment solutions.

    Many graduates are today roaming the streets in search of jobs without success just because they do not know how to package their curriculum vitae (CV) in the right way and convince prospective employers. The fact that our school curriculum is not reviewed to accommodate topics on job-search strategies and entrepreneurship to reflect the realities of the 21 century globalisation does not help matters.

     

    Proper definition

    A CV has a persuasive motive. Indeed, it is an advertisement. A great CV does not just tell a prospective employer what you have done but presents you in the best light. It convinces the prospective employer that you have what it takes to be successful in the new position. Nicholas Lore, an international career management expert says it is a mistake to think of your CV as a history of your past, as a personal statement or as some sort of self-expression. Surely, most of the content of any CV is focused on the job history. But, endeavour to write with the intention to create interest, to persuade the prospective employer to call you. If you write with that goal, your final product will be very different from when you are writing to inform or catalogue your job history.

    Most people write their CV anyhow. If you realise that a great CV can be your gateway to getting your dream job, you will definitely develop real interest in creating an enviable masterpiece, rather than the despicable ones most people compose.

    Research shows that only one interview is granted for every 200 CVs received by a prospective employer, and that each CV is quickly scanned, rather than read. A period of between ten and twenty seconds is all the time you have to persuade a prospective employer to read further. The implication of this is that the decision to interview a candidate is usually based on an overall first impression that his or her CV is able to create.

     

    Extension

    Therefore, the top half of the first page of your CV will either make or mar your chances. By the time a prospective employer has read the first few lines, you may or may not arouse his or her interest. This is why it is said that your CV is an advertisement. Ensure that it has the same result as a well-written advert: to get the reader to respond.

    To write a CV that is effective, you need to learn the strategy of writing a powerful, but subtle advertising copy. Note that the best-advertised product is often bought more than the best product. If you have a masterpiece of a CV, you will always get a better response from prospective employers than people with better credentials but without a good CV.

    However, do not make false claims on your CV just for the sake of getting invited for an interview. Integrity is very important. You should focus on the prospective employers’ needs not yours. Usually, the person who makes the hiring decision is also the person who is responsible for the bottom-line productivity of the project or group you hope to join.

    This is a person who cares deeply about how well the job will be done. Therefore, you need to write your CV in such a way that will appeal directly to him or her. Ask yourself questions such as What would make someone the best candidate? What does the employer really want?

     If you are in search of a job in a field you have enough knowledge of, think of what would make someone a superior candidate. If you are not sure, you can ask other people who work for the same company or in the same field. You can even call the prospective employer and ask him or her what he or she wants because if you are not addressing his or her real needs, he or she will not respond to your CV. Putting yourself in the position of the person doing the hiring is the first and most important step in writing a CV that markets you rather than describes your history. Every step in producing a finished document should be part of your overall intention to convey to the prospective employer that you are a truly-exceptional candidate.

     

    Clarity

    Therefore, be clear on what the employer is looking for and what you have to offer before you begin your CV. Write your answers to the first question What would make someone the perfect candidate? on a sheet of paper, one answer per page.

    Prioritise the sheets of paper, based on which qualities or abilities you think would be most important to the person doing the hiring. Then, starting with the top priority page, fill the rest of that page with everything you have ever done that demonstrates that you fit best and perfectly with what is wanted and needed by the employer. We will continue next week.

     

    PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Business Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated here for details.

     

    GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

     

    Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425

    Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com

    Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

  • 5 mistakes to avoid when compiling your CV

    5 mistakes to avoid when compiling your CV

    With an unemployment rate of around 25% in South Africa – and possibly more, depending on how you calculate it – competition for every job opening is fierce. The first step towards securing your dream job is putting together a professional curriculum vitae (CV) that get the recruiter excited about the skills, experience and qualifications you have to offer.

    But many great candidates fail at this first hurdle in the job search process by making some basic errors when compiling their CVs.

    Here are a few of the common mistakes we see in the CVs that come across our desks when we’re recruiting – if you manage to avoid them, you’ll already given yourself an edge in the job market.

     

    1.     Irrelevant personal information

    In today’s competitive job market, recruiters may get hundreds of CVs for every job they advertise. Do them a favour by focusing your CV on the experience and qualifications that make you stand out. Avoid anything that could bias the recruiter against your application, be controversial in his or her mind, or simply pad your CV with unnecessary information.

    Although it is good to give an overall picture of who you are, don’t go overboard listing your hobbies, interests, or beliefs, unless they’re particularly relevant to the job you’re applying for. Also, be wary of detailing your sexual orientation, religious beliefs or political convictions in your CV. They’re simply not relevant.

    Recruiters sometimes access social media platforms to gain insight into job applicants. Make sure that the image projected by your social media accounts is one that you’d like to portray to prospective employers.

    2.     Falsehoods and half-truths

    It’s important to cast your achievements and qualifications in the best possible light in your CV, but you should also be truthful about the facts of your career and personal history. Don’t claim to have qualifications you don’t have, don’t inflate your job titles or salary in the hopes of advancing your career, and don’t lie about your previous achievements.

    Recruiters will check on your background, and they will usually find out if you’ve embellished the truth to try and get a higher salary or to secure a job for which you’re not qualified. With so many high-profile people under scrutiny in the press for lying about their qualifications, recruiters are being extra careful in their screening of candidates at the moment.

    3.     Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors

    Few things get a CV thrown in the dustbin faster than glaring spelling or grammar errors. Recruiters will assume that you’re lazy or incompetent if your CV is full of typos.

    Read your CV and read it again a bit later to make sure you catch all of the errors before you send it off. Check headings, subject lines and cover letters carefully.  If you’re not good at spelling and grammar, ask a family member or friend to proofread your CV.

    4.     Employment history

    An unexplained gap in your work history makes recruiters nervous. Rather be upfront and explain that you took some time out to travel or raise children or that you were ill for a long spell than leave a mysterious hole in your CV – don’t let a recruiter imagine you spent that time in a maximum security prison as he or she deletes your application.

    To help the recruiter assess your application quickly, start your CV with summarized career chronology. Begin with your most recently held position and provide an overview of your experience and expertise that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. For your less relevant or recent experience, you can offer less information.

    5.     Current salary or salary expectations

    You have little to gain from highlighting your salary expectations in a CV. If they’re too modest, the employer may wonder if you’re qualified for the job, or you might weaken your chances of negotiating the best possible package. If they’re too high, your CV will be dismissed out of hand. That might be unfortunate if you’re desperate for the job or if you have a good enough story to tell to justify your cost to the company.  Rather let the recruiter raise the issue of remuneration during the interview process.

    Anja van Beek, is the HR Director for Sage VIP and Chief People Officer for Sage AAMEA, (Africa, Australia, Middle East and Asia)