Nowadays, online recruitment sites are among the destinations of choice for regional employers who wish to recruit talent quickly, easily, effectively and cost-efficiently, and a top-notch CV remains the professional currency on these sites. In fact, 50.5% of employers in the region said that online is the best medium to recruit senior professionals, as revealed by Bayt.com’s “Hiring Management in the MENA” poll (August 2012), while 32.5% of professionals who took part in Bayt.com’s “Employee Retention in the MENA Workplace” poll (February 2013) claimed that they found their last job online. A CV is a lot more than just a representation of your professional experience. It talks with your potential recruiters and tells them what you have achieved so far. Your CV should clearly and concisely show employers why you’re uniquely positioned for the job. Let’s quickly review important parts of your CV that can be intelligently used to increase your chances of landing your dream job:
A vague objective statement poorly communicates your goals. Your career objective must convey in clear terms where you want to see yourself in an organization by what you have achieved in the past and what exactly it is that you are looking for. Be assertive in what you have obtained in terms of results and proficiencies which can add value to your potential employer. For 14.8% of employers polled in Bayt.com’s “Hiring Practices in the MENA Region” survey (February 2012) a lack of focus was the most common mistake they encountered on a jobseeker’s CV.
Think of your professional highlights as a proof of what you have achieved in the past. Some professional highlights may be exhibited in terms of numbers or percentages while others are subjective in nature. For example, if you are a Marketing Manager, you can create professional highlights exhibiting the increases you’ve achieved in the volume of sales in terms of currency-like millions of AED, or you can demonstrate sales achievements in terms of % percentage increase compared to past sales performances. Similarly, an IT Manager may create a professional highlight that would read “Implemented an ERP solution to streamline company’s processes”. Make sure you select the right kind of highlights for your CV, showcasing your past achievements relevant to your industry requirements. 19.7% of employers who took part in Bayt.com’s “Hiring Practices in the MENA Region” survey said that the most common mistake they encountered on a jobseeker’s CV was a CV not customized for the role, while 3.3% reported a lack of detail and factual evidence.
Your Key Responsibilities must convey what you did and how it translated into value addition for the company. Try to elaborate and be as detailed as much as possible. An example on a clear, detailed key responsibility for a job would be “Achieved sales targets on consistent basis by successfully implementing sales plans while mentoring junior sales team to contribute individual towards the overall business development goals”. Need more advice on how to optimize your CV? Check out Bayt.com’s tips on how to create a “Power CV”, and what top CV mistakes to avoid.
