Dear graduate, you have now completed or are about to complete your studies. Congratulations are in order! You’re finally entering the “real world” (because apparently where you’ve been living isn’t real?).
The first step to adulting, is finding a proper job…and this can be stressful. Njongo Sidloyi, Intern at Razor PR, is here to assure you that you aren’t expected to have a degree plus years of experience, multiple awards and accolades, and a Nobel Peace Prize after graduation. What is expected of you, is to present yourself well in your CV…and she’s got three tips to help you do just that:
- Introduce yourself – Start your CV with a personal statement to grab your potential future employer’s attention right away. What you have to offer, where you would like your career to go, and who you are as a person needs to be tailored to fit the job you’re applying for. Mention some specifics about the job or the company so the employer knows you’ve done your research and you specifically want to work for them.
- Focus on your education – Since you’re a recent graduate, you likely don’t have a lot of work experience yet, so the focus needs to be your education. Make the first section of your CV all about your education, list any specific courses you took related to the job you’re applying for, along with the grades you received in them (provided they were good grades), and list any skills and accomplishments you acquired along the way.
- Highlight any work experience – Even if it’s not relevant to the job you’re applying for, you should mention all the previous work experience you may have. Employers look out for people who’ve shown an ability to commit to a job to earn money, even if it’s on a casual basis. But keep it brief and simply mention the job title, where you worked, for how long and what your responsibilities were. If you can relate these responsibilities to the job you’re applying for, that’s even better.
Related Articles
