CORPORATE | Sending Out CVs and Making Sure They Get To Where You Want Them To Go

Sending Out CVs and Making Sure They Get To Where You Want Them To Go

While CVs cannot fully detail all the experience of the individual, it is important to remember that a job seeker's goal is actually to be shortlisted and interviewed. It is during the initial interview process that one can further provide relevant information about his qualifications.

Human Resources Tips

Been working on thousands of CVs lately and I have been keeping some notes about what not and what should be done when sending CVs. Hopefully this can help other job seekers to have better chances of landing into their dream job. 

"Curriculum Vitae or CV, is a written overview of a person's experience and other qualifications. CVs are often tailored to change the emphasis of the information according to the particular position for which the job seeker is applying." 

On Sending CVs

• Do not send CVs on a weekend. This will pile up along with other CVs.

• Do not overdo or pimp CVs. Relevant information on the first page

• State immediately why you should be selected. HR people do not have the luxury of time.

• Do not understate important information as well. Balance is the key.

• On the email subject, the following items should include: name, profession, years of experience, relevant skills (unless stated in the job advertisement to write a specific subject, you can include the aforementioned items)

• Avoid writing- "For suitable position", because there is never a suitable position; only specific position

• When writing in the email body, emphasize the experience in the first three sentences. Less is more.

• Break your sentences according to every thought, that is- one idea, one sentence. Refrain from using conjunctions. 

Bad Example:
This letter is to express my interest in applying for a position in your reputable organization. To work for your organization would be a privilege and I believe that my experience and education will make me a competitive candidate for a position in your company.

Good Example: 
This letter is to express my interest in applying for a position in your reputable organization. 
To work for your organization would be a privilege. 
I believe that my experience and education will make me a competitive candidate for a position in your company.

• If you need to write an email body, please limit this to two paragraphs. Longer than this, the email becomes utterly dragging. 

On Writing CVs

• Photos attract attention. Because let's face it- hiring specialists are biased towards good looking people, and it is the good looking photos that get attention. So never send a lousy photo. You wanna land in a good job, spend on an expensive studio shoot. Trust me, it's worth the investment.

• Font acceptable are: Century Gothic, Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica (No fancy please)

• Include your name and pages in the footer

• No need to make your CV very colorful. It is not a coloring book.

• Limit the CV to two pages only. It's too exhausting to read beyond two pages, and most likely the HR staff will dump your CV automatically.

• If you need to use bullets, please choose the simplest ones, e.g. dots

• Never use RED font (such an eyesore)!