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Writing your CV is the most important piece of selling you will ever do. Firstly, it needs to get noticed among the avalanche of other applications - and that doesn’t mean having it delivered by a semi-clad opera singer (although that could turn a few heads), secondly, it has to be absolutely spot-on, both in terms of your experience and self-promotion. It may be cliché, but there really is no second chance to make a good first impression with this one - so bear in mind this essential advice.

• Get your spelling and grammar right. This may sound obvious, but even the smallest typo could mean that your well- crafted CV gets no further than HR’s bin. Get someone to proofread it- more than once.

• Get your dates right. It is painfully dull, but the last thing you want are discrepancies, as these will make you look disorganized and scatty. Take the time to go down memory lane- it may feel like grown- up detention, but you only have to do it once.

• Sell, sell, sell. Do not be afraid of bigging yourself up; turn any bad experiences into lessons learnt and embellish (but no untruths). Err on the positive wherever you can, but at the same time don’t overdo it…this can easily be spotted by a discerning eye.

• Get an outsider opinion. You know your own profession inside out and there may be aspects of your job you take for granted. Find a willing (a patient) ear to go through your roles and you’ll find you have more feathers in your cap than you first thought.

• Don’t get gimmicky. No wacky fonts, shiny paper, streamers, poppers or sounds when you open the envelope- unless you are going for a job as Coco the clown. Keep it clean, using the same style and size of font throughout-if you want a heading to stand out just bold it up.

• Make sure you are picture perfect. If you use photo- and this is increasingly becoming the norm- make sure it’s a good, basic mugshot. Obviously use a nice one, but avoid any over-glamorous images- unless you are going for a job on the stage, of course.

• Formatting. Avoid graphs, barchats or table; keep the formatting as basis as possible. If you are emailing your CV, save it as PDF to avoid any software compatibility issues-after laying out your CV so carefully you don’t want it to end up getting garbled down the wire.

• Include a competency statement. This is a 150 to 200 words selling statement at the start of your CV that outlined the knowledge, skills and abilities you possess. Experts say a good competency statement can boost your chances of being interviews by as much as 30%.

• Avoid any unnecessary and irrelevant info. Don’t bother with writing curriculum vitae at the top- the reader knows it is not ham sandwich! Don’t bother telling them you are single-it’s not a date, if you want to put your hobbies down, try to make them relevant and a boost to your profile. Vague and unremarkable activities such as socializing, going to the pub or listening to music will take up valuable space.

• Don’t skip the gaps. Any lost years with no explanation could be seen as suspicious and lazy. Deal with any career breaks head-on, even if the gap was while you were go-go dancing in Ibiza. If you don’t want to go into details, just say you were working in tourism and pull out positives such as “I’ve learned to be a good communicator” or “I now have conversational Spanish.”

Technorati Tags: CV, Employment

You never know when opportunity will knock so it’s wise to keep your CV updated at all times.

Kelly Marketing Executive Gina Meintjies says that keeping an updated CV is vital when looking for a job, regardless of how long you’ve been in the field.

“Whether it is a chance for a promotion or a career move you should be ready. And if you are a job seeker, one of your resolutions could be assess how successful you have been in job hunting efforts and improve your job hunting tactics; starting with a clear, concise CV and a focused job search. You could be missing opportunities because your CV is not conveying the correct message. Getting your CV right puts you on top of the pile,” she advises.

Be sure your CV makes the grade by following some simple essentials:

Presentation: Your CV should be professional. No fancy designs. A simple Word document provides the interviewer with information without distraction. Address your CV to the company and person and do make sure you have their names spelled correctly and job titles spot on. Keep it brief, this is not an autobiography; maximum three to four pages. Ask friends or family for constructive criticism to improve your CV.

Be professional: Have your correct contact details in your CV. Do not risk using your existing employer’s e-mail or company cellular phone-believe it, they know the numbers of their competitors. If you have to set up a separate e-mail address and alternate telephone number. And when you answer your phone do so clearly. Your voice-mail should also be professional.

Have the correct information: Make sure all information is correct and honest. This will impress the interviewer who will not need to ask questions about things you forgot. Do not include misleading information; if you have not completed your degree do not make it look as if you have. Very important is having the dates and positions you held at previous employers correct.

References: These are vital and go along way to help you land that job. Your CV must convey that you are a solid person; the more highly your references speak of you the better your chances.

Being ready to find a job is one thing, but looking can be daunting. “It need not be.” Says Meintjies. “Daily and weekly media publications advertise vacancies. Focus your job search; don’t just send your CV everywhere in the hope that you may get lucky. You are wasting your time and money! There are exciting careers out there; the Contact Centre industry offers job-seekers great choice and Flexi-Work/Temping has become the preferred career choice for many.”

Skills are critical; whether you are employed or a work seeker. The non-negotiable in today’s world-of-work are: computer literacy on all MS Office Products, Customer Service skills, basic financial skills and above all, excellent communication skills and a good command of English as our predominant business language.

Two exciting options for job seekers are:

Flexi-Work: The world-of-work is ever changing. With the increased trend in Flexi Work opportunities, many select a career offering flexibility and benefits associated wit full-time employment. If you have the right skills: consider the Flexi-Work option.

Contact Centres: An industry making huge strides in job creation is the Contact Centre industry. If you have the drive to work hard and deal with people, then this industry could be for you. Contact Centres employ a range of skills; from doctors to sales-people, collection agents and more. With experience and specific skills, including excellent communication and a passion for customer service, you could fill the next seat and become part of this exciting industry.

Technorati Tags: CV, Employment, Job hunting