The non-negotiable skills and experience for one role, even in the same field, can be very different to another. While this may sound obvious, it’s something many applicants don’t take into consideration when submitting the core piece of their application – their CV.
In addition to ensuring your CV is up to date, you should also customise it to the individual position, giving yourself a better chance at success. So, how do you do this?
Think about what the employer is looking for
When it comes to customising your CV, the first place to look for clues is in the actual job advertisement. A great example of this is an employer’s desired experience level.
If, for example, an employer wants someone with an extensive employment history, you’d be expected to do your best to provide details on all relevant jobs. On the other hand, if the job was very specific to one field or discipline, you may wish to include only your relevant experience and exclude unrelated roles, especially if they are early in your career.
Part of pitching yourself as perfect for a role is offering your prospective employer only what they need. While this sounds blunt, employers don’t have lots of time to read through unnecessary information. If your CV doesn’t fit into what they’re looking for, your application may not receive the attention it deserves.
Consider your tangible skills for the role
As a job seeker, it’s your responsibility to ensure your application is as appealing to employers as possible.
If the role is customer-facing, your communication, problem-solving and organisational skills might be desirable.
Again, the job advertisement should provide clues into what the employer wants from a candidate and the skills that will add value to their business. For example, if the role is customer-facing, your communication, problem-solving and organisational skills might be desirable, so it’s important to position your past experience in light of these attributes
Identify what skills will be useful for the job and gather examples of your competency to your CV. This way, a hiring manager or recruiter knows exactly what you can offer and how you can fit seamlessly into the position.
Pinpoint your location
Looking for work somewhere other than where you’re currently living? Be sure to include your plans to move in your CV. While some employers may be willing to hire candidates living outside their immediate location, if you can show you are ready to make the move, or that you are already located in the area, this can improve your chances.
Don’t fudge your experience – if all of your jobs have been in London and you’re applying in Melbourne, that shouldn’t be a problem as long as you can show the experience is relevant, you’re willing to relocate or already have, and you have working rights where you are applying.
Customising your location gives a potential employer confidence that your application is genuine and ensures you will be judged on other factors such as skills and experience.
Remember to adjust the customisation
Over time, our CVs can collect a lot unnecessary and distracting details. For example, if you applied for administration role with a sporting organisation and indicated your passion or sporting skills, this will have no context for a job in marketing an accounting business.
Customising a CV is a great idea, but remember to remove all the nuances when you apply for another job. To view our downloadable CV templates that you can customise to your needs, click here.
