Your CV is one of the most important documents that you will ever draft and one that will be the first point of contact with your next employer.
Your CV must present you at your best. It is a showcase of your knowledge, skills and experience.
Many of the CVs that are presented in response to advertisements are tombstone like, plainly boring and nothing more than job responsibilities. Clearly limited planning in the preparation of the CV and no deep thought about what is relevant to the job application has happened.[pullquote]Hard skills are specific, teachable skills that can be defined and measured. They may be contrasted with soft skills which are less tangible and harder to quantify such as getting along with others, listening and engaging in small talk[/pullquote]
What are employers looking for on your CV?
Apart from your knowledge and experience that you can list, the most important things to include on your CV are evidence that you have both hard and soft skills and that when using these skills you have achieved results. The content has to be results-oriented.
Plan for your CV Content
Hard Skills vs Soft Skills
|
Hard skills include the specific knowledge and abilities required for success in a job, such as personal assistants |
By Definition |
Soft skills characterise your relationships with other people, or are about how you approach life and work. |
|
Hard skills are teachable abilities that can be defined and measured. Hard skills are easy to quantify. |
Measurable or not? |
Soft abilities are personal-driven and subjective skills. They are really hard to measure. |
|
Hard skills are easy to prove with certificates, education degree, awards and etc. |
How to prove them |
Soft skills related to your personal characteristics and traits and are difficult to prove. |
|
– Basic computer skills – Data analysis skills – Mathematical and numeracy skills – Knowing foreign languages – Technology & software knowledge |
Examples |
– Communication skills – Leadership skills – Flexibility and adaptability skills – Decision-making skills – Creativity |
|
Let’s take personal assistants. Their hard skills include the knowledge of word processing, telephone technology, event management, etc. |
Specific example |
The soft skills of a personal assistants include their abilities to work with tact and discretion, be able to multi-task, etc. |
The balance between these skills is the key to a successful CV.
Error: Contact form not found.