When applying for a position the only picture you can present to the recruiter or employer advertising the vacancy is your CV. This will tell them who you are and what qualifies you to be considered for the position. It needs to cover relevant information and paint a pretty clear picture of who you are, where you can be contacted, what your qualifications are and what experience you have relevant to the position being advertised. It has to be concise and to the point with information that can easily be verified. It will help if you could list your critical key performance areas that you were tasked with and how this can be interpreted by the recruiter considering you for the position being advertised. Always be truthful and never lie on your CV. This will come out when the recruiter does his/her job in assessing you for the position that you applied for. It is also important that you tailor your CV for the position that you are applying for and be specific with regards to the requirements the recruiter is looking for. What I mean by this is not to just send a generic CV but a CV that really talks to the recruiter. Remember, this is the only document that you have that would introduce you and explain why you should be considered for the available position. If not written in a style that is clear and well structured the person reading the CV will simply put it aside and move on to the next applicant without taking time to read through what you have presented in the CV. This you do not want, the reason you are making an application is really to be considered for the position available. this is why you should take time to prepare a professional CV that you will be sending out to the recruiter.
Apart from the CV there should be a cover letter introducing yourself briefly and highlighting areas that you believe is critical to the position. The cover letter should really be written in such a way that it invites the recruiter to really want to look at the CV.
So, two main issues when applying for a position available, the CV and the cover letter. In the next couple of posts I will be discussing the CV and the contents that I believe should be in the CV. It is a simple CV format that has worked for me and we have received many positive and good feedback from employers on the structure and the way the information is presented to them. Our CV is well structured and provides all the relevant information. I will be taking the CV and break it down into the various components and provide you with tips on how to complete the different sections.
Looking forward to your feedback, comments and questions.