Prepare a CV that whets potential employer’s appetite

By Polycarp Njoge

Employers are always presented with thousands of curriculum vitae which they rarely have time to read.

With such a bulk of documents, managers only look for CVs with outstanding aspects and then discard the rest.

To catch the attention of the employer, you must critique your CV on the following lines;

Focus to build a brand that is in market demand. This is the all-important link between a job hunters passion and the employer’s productivity and profitability. A ‘branded’ CV should convey a value proposition and demonstrate a fit with both the skills required for the position and the company’s organisational culture.

Think green and emphasise results. The CV should be written from the employers’ perspective.

The employer wants to know whether one can make a positive economic impact on the company - can they generate more money or save money. Emphasis should be on benefits on the company throughout the CV to appear business savvy and underscore the understanding of the bottom line.

Lead with a sizzling summary to capture interest and control impressions. A meaty introduction of qualifications in the executive summary section of the CV can help employers to zero in on the three to five greatest strengths that communicate one’s brand.

This tied with accomplishments can help substantiate each of the strengths and wet the employer’s appetite.

Mirror job postings with relevant content. Before writing, select several job postings that epitomise one’s job target. The key responsibilities and results from the posting need to be highlighted.

These items need to be weaved into the CV to have specific focus on specific jobs.

Prune and proofread. Traditional print CV should be no more than two pages with exceptions to the two-page rule apply for senior executives, academicians, and licensed professionals like doctors, architects or lawyers.

One should ask, "Does this information support or detract my candidacy?" Information that offers no support should be omitted, like a master’s degree holder writing where he went to kindergarten or primary school; the assumption is that you can’t go to the university unless you finished primary school.

Make the CV gorgeous.

First impressions do count. The CV should have the look and feel of a polished advertisement with a design that is crisp, clean, and eye-catching. One must consider tasteful use of graphic elements, colour enhancements, or small, relevant logos.