The world of the first job can be daunting for young people fresh out of college, especially when they have never been taught how to write a curriculum vitae (CV).
Whether listing experiences that are not entirely relevant or including a photo of themselves, these people are victims of major errors when writing their CVs, which will harm them when it comes to find a job.
Gary Gamp is coach professional and business leader based in the United Kingdom, who has worked with some of the largest companies in the world, and who explains to the Daily Mail What are the main mistakes when writing the CV and how to avoid them.
Your CV is not interesting
Gamp says he has a “six second rule” when it comes to a CV: “In my experience evaluating candidates, it only takes a brief moment to determine if someone is a good fit.”
‘I have a list of things I look for (experience and background), but you have to pass the six second rule and the way to do it is be very clear about the job you are applying for and reflect it in the first half of the CV,” he continues.
“You have to use the language that the company has used in its job description and connect with it in your CV. Don’t go on and on about how amazing you are. The important thing is the context and not the content,” adds Gamp.
Have you posted a photo or told your life story?
“There’s another little thing to keep in mind about CVs,” writes Gary Gamp. “Everyone has a photo of themselves on their LinkedIn profile (and they usually also have a photo of themselves on their Slack, Teams, and Zoom accounts), but I don’t think you should have a photo of yourself on your CV.“says the expert.
Gamp explains that “people could form an opinion about you based on your photo.” And that’s not always positive.
“Another risk that can arise in a CV is the biography. When I read people’s CVs, there is a lot of ‘blah, blah, blah’. Things like ‘I am a high-energy, organized and successful person.’ coach warns that this type of language “appears on almost every CV.”
Instead, it insists that applications should “be more specific about the results that you have made relevant to the job you are applying for and cite figures and statistics that show what you can contribute.
You do not adapt each CV to each offer
Gary Gamp advises people to create three different CV profiles with “slight nuances.” “Think about who will read your application. If it’s a marketing job, it might be the marketing director or human resources supervisor. You have to yell at them to get their attention“, says.
“If you are applying for a project manager position, you should include in your CV the words ‘project management skills’. If they have to look for them, you will lose them. Using a single CV for each type of position is a lazy strategy and will not make you stand out,” he adds.
You are not creative
When creating your CV, Gary Gamp suggests that you do “as daring as possible” to “distinguish yourself from the thousands of other CVs your potential employer is reviewing.”
He coach writes: ‘A contact of mine made a CV in cartoon form because he was trying to get into radio and wanted to show his creative side.’ “My son applied for a job as a journalist at a news website and turned his biography into a newspaper article with the headline ‘BREAKING NEWS’,” he adds.
“This is an appropriate way to stand out. Find something unique and adapt it to your personalityskills and style,” says Gamp, who believes that the ideal length of a CV should be two pages “and no more than three.”
“It should not be very long and should only contain your key qualifications,” says the expert. “And since we’re in the 21st century, why not send a video cover letter? Could you attach a small paper clip? Explain why you are the right person and want the job. That would make you stand out, wouldn’t it?”
But if you decide to do this, Gary Gamp warns that you should “look professional.” “Don’t make it tasteless or cheesy. “Keep it short and simple,” he says.
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