Why introducing yourself, making the most of your education section and highlighting your skills is important for your CV when job-hunting.

Why introducing yourself, making the most of your education section and highlighting your skills is important for your CV when job-hunting.

By Antonietta Marinelli | Jan 15, 2021

Many of us have a resume filled with an endless list of work experience across internships, customer service roles, volunteer work and things in which are believed to be of benefit to an advertised role.

One of the biggest concerns surrounding recent graduates is landing their ‘full-time dream job’ and how their current experience can get them there. But, you may take a look at the qualifications that are required and freak out thinking that there is no way you’ll ever be considered. However, the reality is, you don’t need to tick all of those boxes, and you should aim to look for positions that will not only challenge you but help you grow and develop your current skills. (Markman, 2019)

Detailing your qualifications for a job can help you to establish yourself as a competent professional. When tailoring your resume or CV to best showcase and describe your qualifications, we aim to pertain to a specific position or go in-depth with descriptions throughout our cover letter how we can use our current skills in the advertised role. You should also be prepared to discuss your outstanding qualifications during an interview, taking into consideration how you formulate your responses and how they can be applied to the description of the job advertised.

Where once a job-starter might have been required to complete a bachelor degree, research shows that employers have decided to start seeking out qualified candidates who have increasingly vibrant work experience such as internships and volunteer work. In 2018, the Business Council of Australia released a discussion paper called a “culture of lifetime learning”, which dived into how workers will need to dip in and out of training throughout their entire lives, upskilling and reskilling. (Adams, 2019).

Organisations expect people who are new to a role to grow into the position, and want their new hires to ask a lot of questions, seek mentorship and to make a few mistakes along the way in order to get acclimated to the role. (Markman, 2019)

You need to think of your resume as your own personal marketing material and how are you going to be presented to potential employers?

Introduce yourself

Your personal profile is a vital part on your CV. It is one of the first sections in which an employer reads to see if you would be a suitable candidate for the company culture. The job you may be applying for holds a company culture which may be collaborative and friendly, therefore this is where you can showcase how YOU hold those characteristics. You should also summarise any career highlights you have had where these characteristics were useful and beneficial to your role.

Make the most of your education section

As well as outlining the usual educational background including Higher Education, Degrees, Masters etc., you should always include any additional qualifications or vocational courses in which you may have completed. Ensure that your education section is in chronological order, starting with the most recent qualification at the top of your list. This is important to showcase to employers that you value learning, and shows your drive to further enhance your skills and to learn

Highlight your skills

Make sure to highlight your skills to the role you are applying for! Time management, multi-tasking and ability to work under pressure, critical and independent thinking skills are key areas for recruiters. (Whitmell, 2014). You may have developed other strengths which gives you great advantage to the advertised role - draw on them!

In any role you apply for it is imperative to be honest, transparent and professional with the way you not only present your resume, but how you present yourself. It is useful for almost everyone to treat an advertised role as a set of guidelines about what a position involves, rather than a strict list of requirements that you HAVE to have.

Remember, nobody should limit themselves to a position in which they tick every single box of what is required; if that were the case, landing a full-time role would be impossible. Review a job, highlight the skills and qualifications which may be useful to the role, draw on the experience you have and run with it. You don’t know what you’re capable of until you try.

References:

● Adams, C. (2019) Six surprisingly easy ways to boost your qualifications. The New Daily [Accessed January 14, 2021]
(https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/work/2019/11/22/six-ways-boost-qualifications/)

● Markman, A. (2019) You Don’t Need to Meet Every Qualification to Apply for a Job. Harvard Business Review [Accessed January 13, 2021].
(https://hbr.org/2019/05/you-dont-need-to-meet-every-qualification-to-apply-for-a-job/)

● Whitmell, C. (2014) CV advice for graduates: how students can make the most of their degree. The Guardian [Accessed January 14, 2021]
(https://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/making-the-most-of-your-degree-on-your-cv/)