Professionals Assemble at CSS For The Free CV Writing Forum
BY TERESA MULOMI
“Will I ever get a job? Do people ever get jobs? I stay in front of my computer day in day out, applying for jobs but I have not received a single job interview invitation” Diana, HR Professional
Diana along with 34 other professionals had attended the free CV Writing Forum organized by Corporate Staffing Services. She, like others wanted to get insights on how she could write an attention-grabbing CV that will get her noticed and hired by recruiters.
The keynote speakers Ms. Rebecca Nyawira, the Head of Career Advisory Services at Corporate Staffing Services took the candidates through a step-by-step CV writing process that covered all the aspects of writing impactful, catchy CVs that would help them stand out among the many applicants competing for the same jobs.
“An average of about 9000 candidates send out applications for a job advert that only wants one candidate. In order to be the one selected, your CV has to stand out and grab the attention of the recruiter in under 30 seconds. You should therefore ensure your CV is organized in a way that will ensure important details pop out to the recruiter in the shortest amount possible” Ms. Rebecca Nyawira
She began by providing guidelines on how to structure, format and present key elements of a good CV i.e. Career Summary, Educational Qualifications, Professional Experiences & Skills, Personal Details, Achievements and Competencies, Referees and Hobbies & Interests.
She urged candidates to keep their CVs short, clear and concise in order to not to overload recruiters with too much information. She also advised applicants to always keep it professional-no head shots, easy to read fonts, perfect grammar and to utilize blue, black and purple hues in case they decide to incorporate colors in their CVs.
Rebecca warned candidates against placing their friends and families on their CV and insisted that they list professional referees who are conversant with their jobs and experience.
“Cultivate a relationship with your referees, let them know that you are going to include them in the referee’s section so that they can put in a good word for you.” Ms. Rebecca
Mr. Julius Kairu the Marketing and Communication Officer who was also present during the forum encouraged professionals to always strive to be among the first applicants to send in their application for any advertised position they are interested in. He also encouraged them to ensure their CVs are keyword centered and aligned to the job description at hand.
“I have 3 years of work experience but my CV is 6 pages. I have listed almost everything on my CV including my nursery school and all the units I took when undertaking my diploma and degree. I now realize that this is counterproductive. In line with the advice provided by Rebecca, I am going to edit my CV and remove all the irrelevant stuff to ensure my CV is impactful.” Donald, HR Graduate
The Free CV Writing Forum is part of the free career advice initiative by Corporate Staffing Services. The events main goal is to provide career insight and wisdom to help new graduates and beginning professionals launch and propel their careers. It focuses on providing job search, CV writing and interview preparation advice.
The next event will focus on Interview Preparation.
Want to get free expert advice on how to effectively prepare and ace your next job interview?
Join our next Free Career Forum on 20th, September 2019. Email Kairu at communications@corporatestaffing.co.ke with the subject headline “FREE INTERVIEW PREPARATION FORUM” to be shortlisted for the next event.