BOOST YOUR CV AND INTERVIEW SKILLS
PIC Source: https://www.jobcase.com/articles/bring-your-resume-to-an-interview
As we may already know, a CV or Curriculum Vitae is essential when applying for a job. It is a summary of your educational, work experience, and skills. Typically you can write a CV when you are in college to apply to be an activist or program on campus that requires a summary of the experiences you have done.
But there are some cases where they make a fantastic CV and have a lot of experience, but when they work in practice, they don’t meet expectations. This is because they are too focused on making their CV excellent without considering the consequences. They have to be much better than the CV they have provided. Could we judge the quality of a person from their CV? Of course, the CV will make recruiters guess the applicant’s character, but to see the applicant’s true character, they must meet them in person through an interview. CV is also their or the recruiter’s first impression of you, which we know is very important and impacts your work environment.
The interview session is also important because how you answer the questions asked without lying or exaggerating, how you answer, how you respond, how your body responds, and the tones and pronunciation of your speech all affect the impression of the recruiter, which has an even more significant impact than the CV. So what should you prepare in applying for a job? How can you make your CV look good without exaggerating, and how can you answer the recruiter’s questions effectively?
- Keep your CV short and effective. Don’t write too much information and choose the most relevant points. If your CV is too long, the recruiter will assume you don’t understand the job requirements. Keep it short by using spaces and clear bullet points. This kind of CV layout allows potential employers to read your CV and highlight the critical information first.
- Make sure your CV is up-to-date. State your most recent experience.
- Don’t lie, Don’t be tempted to lie or exaggerate your skills; sooner or later, this will be discovered and could cost you the job.
- Create the right type of CV for your situation. Decide whether a chronological, skill-based, or academic CV suits you. Research what kind of CV the company requires.
- Avoid spelling or grammatical errors in CV. You could use a spell checker and ask someone else to proofread the document.
- Use active verbs for a strong positive effect on the reader. For example: provided (support/training) and delivered (results).
- Researching the company and interviewer can help you go into an interview with confidence and knowing the work environment.
- Be prepared for personal questions. Some interviewers may not know personal questions and are not legally allowed to be asked. Anticipate how you will handle such questions without losing your calm.
- Prepare smart questions for your interviewer. The interviewer expects you to ask questions to know how you would like to work in this company. You could ask about the environment or work culture.
- Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early. Be on time and respect others’ time.
- Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to answer the recruiter’s questions about your skills and experience. This method will help you organize your answers, and the recruiter can easily understand. The most important thing is to be confident and calm. That’s the key to giving an excellent explanation to the recruiter. Being nervous is normal, but practice how to manage it.
- Be polite, and use appropriate language and tone of voice for formal situations.
- The interview is not over until you follow up with a thank you note. If necessary, express your appreciation for the interview and reiterate your interest. This last step can make all the difference.
These tips can help you to be more prepared when applying for jobs. In case you do not get the job in the end, make sure you have a plan B so that you are not wasting time to research again after you are rejected. Make a list of companies or the other job applicants that are available. Be prepared for all possibilities.
Sometimes, you might think other people have better CVs or answer questions better. This makes you feel self-conscious and doubt your abilities. As Albert Einstein said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” you couldn’t ride a bicycle without practice. It is about the process. If you want to be better, you must give yourself a chance to grow. Realize that everyone has their strengths-weaknesses, and so do you! Don’t be ashamed and scared to grow yourself better. Keep trying your best and believing that you can do it.
References:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-cv
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/business-english/business-magazine/writing-good-cv
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/interview-advice/interview-advice
