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I have perused CVs/resumes, and some are only good for the bin. Some are even an eyesore and there are times I have asked myself: is this person serious or ready to sell him/herself? A good CV/resume is the first step to market oneself. It will provide you the opportunity for an interview to justify why you should be employed or given an opportunity.

This is a good read for the young undergrad and graduates – especially those who have never done any serious professional work before going to pursue their academic qualifications.

I am an employee. I am an employer. I keep learning from other professionals. And no matter where you are, there are millions ahead of you in that profession.

Recently, I applied for an opportunity that was posted on one of the professional WhatsApp platforms that I belong to. I submitted my CV, and I was contacted to provide a cover letter which I wrote in less than 10 minutes and submitted. Many years ago, I struggled to write a good CV/resume and cover letter because I did not have enough experience to write. I used to be amazed when I see 10+ pages of CV/resume.

As an employer and from the numerous CVs/resumes I am privileged to peruse, I can deduce young graduates struggle to write their CV/resume; most especially when it comes to providing relevant contents. Today, I can write a generic CV/resume of about 30 A4 pages with 1.5 spacing with a font size of 12 in 2 hours without looking on any sample CV or any of my previously written ones because of the numerous experiences I have had over the years.

As you progress in your professional career, you will realize that you cannot present the same CV/resume for every job or position. It must be crafted to meet specific job requirements or positions. As a young undergrad or graduate you may not have such leverage partly because you may not have had enough work experience to even craft different formats of your CV/resume. I agree, there may be exceptions.

To get good content for your CV/resume, I suggest the following to our young undergrads and graduates:

1. Every experience of yours counts.
All the little experience you have had from day one adds up to your skills set and personal qualities. The leadership positions from the academic arena such as Class Captain or Class Monitor, Course Rep, Hall Rep, SU President, House Prefect, Compound Overseer, Dining Hall Prefect, etc. In the religious circles, from being a Chorister, Drummer, Keyboardist, Prayer Leader, Youth Leader, Bible Reader, Praise and Worship Leader, Youth President, Organizer, Treasurer, etc. also counts.

2. Joining Relevant Groups
Groups or professional associations are very key in gathering needed experiences. It depicts your sense of belonging. Associations bring people together and breeds a certain culture among members. Groups helps you to connect with the senior members of your profession and learn from them. As you read posts and comments, you are likely to identify professionals who are decision makers in their respective organizations. This is an avenue to connect.

3. Pro bono Works
As a young graduate, you will gain a lot of experience from working for free. Lessons learnt from working on projects for free is quite priceless. There are so many avenues you can volunteer to do some tasks or projects for free. In your community, at church or place of worship, in your school, at where you work, in the groups you find yourself, etc. The aim is to learn and gain experience. You can offer a helping hand to people working on projects for free. If you put financial rewards ahead of everything, you will end up being the looser. Interviewees who have had an experience in a certain area, do not struggle in answering questions at job interviews when asked.

4. Crafting Your CV/Resume
HRs receive hundreds or thousands of CVs/resumes for a single job advert. For those who do not use automated systems to shortlist people, it is a daunting task to undertake. Be careful of the following:
a. Spelling mistakes is the first elimination tactic.
b. Wrong phone numbers. It shows you are not critical.
c. Funny emails – for example crazy-maputo@gmail.com , babe-lovers@yahoo.com or rich-nigga@hotmail.com . Learn how to create professional emails.
d. Referees shall be provided upon request. I think you have not reached that stage yet. Put a minimum of two referees.

Add some ‘garnishing’ to your CV/resume. The design and the quality of the print, if not electronic copy, should be heart-appealing, attractive enough to draw one’s attention from among the hundreds or thousands.

5. Use relevant key words.
Do a little research on CVs/resumes of professionals in your field. Read about CV/resume tips on the internet. There are professionals who do this job at a fee, but I am strongly against this. One should be able to sell him/herself via his/her CV/resume. That is my personal stand.
Remember to have a copy of your CV and cover letter in your email and on your phone at all times. They should be handy to send or forward.

I wish you success in your professional journey. Share to help someone!

Credit : Emmanuel Gadasu