REGENT Connect hosted a webinar as part of the Employability – Future Fit webinar series (find link here). Dr Ronel Blom, Academic Dean of REGENT Business School, hosted Ms Cindy Norcott, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of two award-winning recruitment agencies, and founder and chairperson of the Robin Hood Foundation.
Ms Norcott addressed participants on the art of using your Curriculum Vitae (CV) as a Sales Brochure – a brochure that will sell the qualifications, skills and aptitudes of the applicant. So often, in a world where recruiters and employers receive hundreds of CVs, it is a competition to ensure that your CV stands out; that your CV gets picked.
Ms Norcott gave great advice – see some of her excellent points below.
- Care about your application – do not send out a bulk mail – personalise it for each recipient;
- Ensure that your formatting is neat and consistent (also font type and size);
- Do a spell check (and ask someone to read it through to check for mistakes);
- Not too long: 1 to 3 pages at the most;
- Insert a recent photo (but not one where you were lying on the beach!);
- Provide a clear profile: who you are; what you offer; and how you fit in with the organisation;
- DO NOT inflate your achievements;
- DO NOT lie about your qualifications:
- DO explain gaps in your CV (e.g. if, for some reason, you haven’t been employed for some time);
- In the South African context, ethnicity is important;
- In listing qualifications, list the highest first;
- In work experience, list the most recent first and give exact months and years;
- List you work achievements in the last three companies (e.g. increased profit margins);
- In other sections, you can list hobbies and special interests, and other work, e.g. freelance work;
- Think about the job requirements and tailor your CV to respond to the key requirements.
It was a fast-paced and exciting session full of pertinent guidance. Click here to watch a full webinar recording.
Please join us for our next session on 22 March 2021 at 14.00 for a discussion on Interviewing Skills. Regeister now to reserve your spot as this is a limited event.
