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Professional CV Content
The CV with the best chance of success is the targeted or job-focused CV. This means that you tailor the contents of your CV to the particular role requirements and you put a spin on the other activities, interests or achievements that give you an unique edge or make you an exciting character for the position.
As a result, your CV begins with a clear summary and objective, which you elaborate on throughout the rest of your CV . Your key achievements, work history and education sections all provide specific and well-written examples of your knowledge, skills and competencies as evidence of your ability to perform the job in question.
One method of achieving this is to list the keywords in the job description or advert, backed up with further research on the role by calling the relevant HR team, and then to match them against your skills and achievements. You can then include these example achievements and skills in your CV, using similar keywords the prospective employer used in the advert. After all, recruiters scan a CV rapidly to look for evidence you possess the key attributes. Once you pass that quick screening, they will then consider your CV in greater detail to shortlist candidates.
However, one word of caution is not to eliminate everything that may not appear directly relevant to the job advert. Your aim is to stand out. Sometimes the scale of your relevant achievements can be enough. On other occasions when competition is fierce, the difference you bring may be unique responsibilities, diversity of experiences or evidence of exceptional character traits, e.g., stamina, that get you noticed.