4 Things You Must Do After Getting a Professional CV

You now have a professional CV. It has been edited to showcase your skills and impress both recruiters and employers. You are already one step closer to getting interviews for those jobs you have applied for without feedback.

So, what next?

If you have been lucky to get an interview already, congratulations! If you got the interview and aced it, our hat is off in celebration of your success. And if you are now wondering what to do next after getting your professional CV, don’t worry; this post has been made to meet your needs.

What to Do After Getting a Professional CV

1. Find open positions in your field of study

After having your CV edited, it is now time to try your luck in the job market. Nothing should stop you from making applications for those jobs you match the qualifications.

Visit job websites to scout for open opportunities. And while at it, make sure to have a pen and paper next to you. Why do you ask? It is important that you list all the open positions you are qualified for, including key requirements and other special qualifications (for example language, denomination, association membership or driving license, etc.). Writing down this information will help you when customising your cover letter.

2. Prepare to submit your job application

The next step after searching for jobs is to submit an application. Do not wait until the next day or near the deadline as it may cost you the opportunity.

In preparation, take your CV and match it to the jobs you listed in step one. Ask yourself; does your CV portray the key requirements of the job? Does it show, clearly, that you are qualified for the role in question? If you believe a recruiter will spot those requirements at a glance, know your CV is ready for sending.

If not, you will need to tweak a few things to make sure it’s clear. And by tweaking, I don’t mean you add skills that you don’t have. No. I mean moving things around. For instance, if the job requires candidates to have analytical skills and that particular skill is number 5 on your CV, you can move it up for easy spotting.

When you are certain your professional CV is ready, now move on to your Cover Letter. Some Kenyan jobs may not ask for a cover letter, but it is important to send one. Read more here on why it is important to send a cover letter, even when it’s not required.

Your cover letter should be written uniquely for each job that you listed in step one. Do not write one generic cover letter and duplicate it for all the open positions you are applying for. This will not work out well for you.

3. Send out your job applications, but make sure you do it right

You must be thinking this step is obvious. Well, it is not! Many job seekers have failed to get job interviews because of mistakes they made when sending out job applications. For instance, candidates have lost out on opportunities for attaching the wrong documents. Others have missed out for attaching a document that won’t open on the recruiter’s end. While others sent out their CVs without any contact information to be reached on. And these are just but a few.

Once your professional CV and Cover Letter are ready, consult a job application checklist when sending out your applications for each job listed. It may take you longer than you would by inputting the email address and hitting send, but it will be worth it. After all, remember you are competing against other suitably qualified candidates who will do all they can to avoid mistakes.

5. Prepare for your next job interview

You may not have received a reply from recruiters yet, and you may not know if you got the job or not. But that should not matter. Your biggest concern after getting a professional CV should be how to get your next job or get that promotion you have been eyeing. So forget about whether you have an interview invitation and remember this quote by Whitney Young; “it is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have one and not be prepared”.

Picture yourself receiving an interview invite to one or every job you have applied for in step 3 above. What would you do? You would start preparing by rehearsing possible interview questions, learning more about the hiring organization, and talking to an interview coach whenever you feel stuck. An even better idea would be to schedule a mock interview to reduce those nerves and get over your interview anxiety.

Preparing for the interview (that you don’t have yet) will make it easier for you when a recruiter calls to inform you that you among the shortlisted candidates. Instead of getting anxious and forgetting what you need to know, like most job seekers do, you will be confident enough to impress any interviewer.

In the end,

Having a professional CV is not a guarantee that you will get a job. No. It is a step closer to getting hired as recruiters and employers will now see your qualifications at a glance and invite you for the interview. Remember, there are other qualified candidates with professional CVs like you. All you need to do is take the above cheat sheet seriously.

Do you have a specific issue you are struggling with after getting your professional CV? Write to us with your queries through clientservice@corporatestaffing.co.ke or comment below and we will be glad to assist.