Guidelines for your CV and Cover Letter

Have you ever submitted a CV for a job application but did not receive a call for an interview? Such situations can leave you frustrated and wondering what went wrong. One should remember that your CV can be the first thing that an employer sees - it acts as a first impression your potential employer has of you, so make it best. Here are some simple guidelines which will help you improve your chances of getting a call for an interview. - Is the CV easy to read? BLACK ink should be used to print. Standard font like Arial or Trebuchet should be used and the font size should not be smaller than 9, but also not larger than 12 - Use a good quality sheet/paper when printing. - Always run spell-check and correct any grammatical, punctuation, or spelling errors before printing the CV. - Employment history should be listed in a chronological order, most recent job first. State the company name, your job title, length of employment and responsibilities or duties. - Concentrate on skills and achievement relevant to the position you are applying for. - Keep your CV as short as possible not more than two pages. Make a statement that further information is available upon request. - Be honest and do not profess the skills you do not possess. Do not exaggerate lengths of employment to cover up gaps. - Tailor your cover letter not your CV to each job you're applying for, so that the employers like to see you have singled their job out particularly. - Always make sure you follow any instructions. For example: If an employer requests a CV via mail, email etc. submit your CV as requested. - In your cover letter make sure you mention the specific job you are submitting a CV for. Keep your cover letter short and to the point and state the position you are applying for and where you saw it. Make a statement such as "I have" and "I can" do things for the company. Always make a closing statement wherein you thank the employer and the company for their time and saying you look forward to hearing from themrn