JOIN USA fresh graduate, you have spent the entire last two months just drafting your cover letters and curriculum vitae and posting them to different companies.
You have even travelled to some of their HR offices in the blistering heat and delivered the ‘million dollar files’ by hand. But still got no response?
Summer is the time when most undergraduates and fresh pass-outs apply for internships and jobs. Well-known companies, at this time, end up amassing no less than a thousand CVs. Most of these receive a cursory glance and are summarily tossed into the dustbin. Barely a handful even make it to the ‘shortlisted’ pile.
So how do you ensure that ‘your’ CV catches the attention of a recruiter at the very first glance and carries you to the much-desired interview table? How does a CV bring out the absolute best in you and fetch you a much coveted, cracker job? Metrolife decided to talk to some experts and find out!
“First things first,” says Sarvesh Agrawal of popular internships website internshala.com, “Never borrow the CV of a college senior and blindly fill in your details. This tradition of copying a template is perpetuated for eternity and along with it, numerous goof-ups and mistakes. It is the biggest turn-off for any employer.”
“Other than that, most youngsters put in that ‘compulsive, generic’ statement: ‘Through this job, I want to enhance my skills and develop my personality...’ It is but obvious and not required to be given in writing. Also skip out on the ‘Declaration of Truth.’: I hereby declare that all the above details are true...’ It is a company you are applying to and not a court of law. It reads very childish.”
Of the things ‘to do’, Anuj Jain of EduGroomers Career Counselling, underlines, “Highlight the right set of skills and achievements. Understand that an employer doesn’t hire you for your degree but your aptitude and skills. So if you were very good at a subject in school, alongside your board exam marks, mention that as well.”
“Depending on the profile you are applying for – academic, technical, social or organisational – give details of your achievements. Say if you worked on a dissertation, participated in a national or international-level science competition, interned with an NGO or even helped organise your college festival, put these in a place of prominence.”
Narendra Murthy, HR Manager with shopping portal zovy.com advocates for the CV to be made “interactive and reader-friendly,” “If you have mentioned a research project, put in a short extract there. Include a photograph of your science model, or codes if you are a student of software engineering. Attach designs if you are into fashion designing.”
“If you think the CV is becoming too long, feel free to put these in your LinkedIn or Beyance profile and provide a link.”
However, these are applicable only if you have enough ‘content’ to boast of. What if you are a fresher looking for an internship with nothing but your board marks at hand?
Renowned career consultant Usha Albuquerque assures, “There are ways to remedy that. Join an online course, offered by universities like Harvard and Stanford these days.
They provide a certificate. Alternatively, enrol at a foreign language school or in any of the numerous short-term courses such as Business Etiquette and Communication Skills.”“These will expand your knowledge base and add points to your CV, hard to ignore for any recruiting organisation.”