Your Bayt.com profile is your one-way ticket to getting your dream job. A strong profile can benefit you immensely in your job seeking journey. Not only does it act as a digital CV you can use to apply for positions at any given time, but it also enables employers to find you. Therefore, you should use it to its fullest, making sure it is complete, fresh and rich with details about you, your skills and your experience. If you’re not sure how to achieve this, don’t panic. We’re going to guide you through all the different sections of your Bayt.com profile to make sure it is complete, strong and a total job magnet.
When I first signed up for Bayt.com, I filled in as many details as I thought necessary and my profile strength still sat at a sad 85%. Of course, the strength meter says reaching 80% places you in the top 10% of highly visible users and while that is true, a determined job seeker should aim for the highly coveted 100% when it comes to profile strength.
Profile Strength: 0%
Directly after you register, you will be directed to a CV builder that will help you take the first step toward completing your profile. The first thing you will be asked to do is fill out your personal information. This section is very straightforward, requiring you to fill in your full name as it appears in your passport, your date of birth, assigned gender, in addition to your primary nationality as well as any additional nationalities you may hold. You will also need to provide your current country of residence, visa status, marital status, number of dependents, and where your driving license was issued from. As I said, this is pretty straightforward, but when it comes to dependents some clarification might be necessary. While usually the word ‘dependents’ is used to refer to children, it can be any close family member who relies on you exclusively for financial support. For example, if your spouse is unemployed, they would qualify as a dependent since they rely on you for income.
For an additional 9%, you should ensure your contact information is completed. I would say this is absolutely mandatory. You should provide your phone number, one on which you are easily contactable, your email address as well as a website link if you have one. This will help employers contact you should they find you through CV search and want to contact you for a job opportunity.
Adding in your work experience is also very critical. If you have no prior work experience, then filling in the details of your highest achieved education is important. That will be your point of reference when it comes to showing prospective employers how you are qualified for whatever job role you apply for. You should list all relevant responsibilities, skills, projects and achievements you have under your belt. Additionally, if you are a fresh graduate, you can add any volunteer work or internships you have completed before.
You should also add in any training and certifications you have received as it shows employers that you are serious about your professional development and improving your skills. You can also take Assessment Tests on Bayt.com and have your scores displayed on your profile to further support your case when applying to various positions.
After you’ve dutifully filled out your details, you will be asked to fill out your target job details. This can be a little confusing at first but you can quickly master it. I was a fresh graduate when I first joined Bayt.com and didn’t have a solid idea on which specific job title I was aiming for. For starters, you should know you are allowed to put in multiple target job titles. Ideally, they should be related, but they can also be job titles from different fields. The only reason I would suggest not to list job roles which are too irrelevant to one another is that it could make you seem indecisive to a potential employer or give the impression you do not have a clear career trajectory. Whether or not this is the case, you want to give the impression that you are confident, determined and focused on a specific set of goals. Note that this section helps Bayt.com generate recommended jobs tailored to your interests.
Once you fill in the job title(s) that interest you, you should also further specify which job role your target job title falls under. For example, if your target is to work as a Social Media Officer, then your job role would fall under ‘Marketing and PR’. Alternatively, if you are aiming to become an IT Manager, your job role would be ‘Information Technology’ and so forth. Keep in mind that this section is incredibly important, as it helps ranking your profile when employers are searching for employees.
Under career level, you should put your current career level. If you are still completing your studies, you would put Student/Intern, whereas if you have recently graduated, you would put ‘Fresh Graduate’. If you have some work experience, but have less than six years altogether, you should select ‘Entry Level’. There are also options for those seeking to work as managers as well as junior and senior executives. Be realistic and practical when selecting your option, because overestimating or underestimating yourself could severely hurt your chances.
Your ‘career objective’ paragraph is a place where you can really strut your stuff. You should aim to fill it out in a way that sells how ambitious, determined and serious you are as a professional. Showing employers that you have a wireframe for how you imagine your future to look that is detailed, but simultaneously flexible, will make you seem more desirable as an employee.
To give your profile an edge and allow you to engage in discussion with other professionals to showcase your expertise on Bayt.com, you should add at least five specialties to your profile. For example, your specialties could be in writing, Photoshop, editing, customer service, or interior design! Whatever it may be, Bayt.com not only allows you to list them, but actively prove your expertise by answering questions in Specialties. But keep in mind that, just like every other section of your profile, these must also be truthful. Employers could easily test you on these specialties or ask you to elaborate on them further.
The skills section of your profile is undoubtedly important. It is your chance to showcase the skills that make you stand out from the rest. Remember to add both soft skills and technical skills. For example, your list could include: communication skills, team player, Microsoft Office proficiency, translation, and critical thinking. You should aim to add a minimum of five skills in order to market yourself properly to the employer.
Your hobbies and interests provide employers with insight on you as a person and helps humanize your profile. It doesn’t hurt that you receive an additional 2% simply for sharing what you love the most.
Adding a profile picture is a divisive subject. Personally, I did not have a picture on my Bayt.com profile until recently. I didn’t think it was necessary and my profile strength was stuck on an annoying 98% no matter how many things I added to my profile. But surprisingly, a professional profile picture can do wonders for your CV and more than four in five job seekers have stated they have a picture on their CV, so you should definitely consider adding one!
Language is a powerful bargaining chip when it comes to getting hired. You should list all the languages you know and your fluency level in that language. If you’re at an intermediate level or higher, that can also help your chances hugely.
This should go without saying, but remember to confirm both your email address and mobile number with Bayt.com. This helps show that the information on your page is correct and gives you an easy 20% extra for your profile strength meter.
Recommendations are also great for your Bayt.com profile. Getting recommendations from your peers helps your profile standout, shows employers that you are distinguished in your professional area of expertise, and proves the qualifications and skills you are claiming to have.
You should also add any professional clubs or organization you are a part of. Your memberships give employers further insight into your professional aspirations and give the impression you know exactly what you want and where you’re headed.
If you want to take your strength even further, Bayt.com gives you the opportunity to really stand out with a Video CV. All it takes is uploading a video CV onto YouTube and getting it approved by Bayt.com. After that, your creative and fun approach to providing a CV will be accessible by employers who are guaranteed to be impressed by your out-of-the-box thinking.
Last, but certainly not least, I must stress that it is super important that you add your references. I realized to my total surprise that I haven’t had my references up for the past year or so. It’s really important that your employer has a point of reference to contact and verify how well you fit the position you are applying for.
Profile Strength: 100%!
With this guide by your side, it’s time to knock your Bayt.com profile out of the park and make sure it is adequate and attractive enough to act as your one-way ticket to the stars. Good luck and sound off in the comments below with any questions, feedback or comments. Bayt.com has always got your back!
