Everyone has skills to write down on their CV, you simply just need to go down memory lane and think of your relevant work experiences.
Skills is one of the first and most important aspect when preparing your CV. Most employers are very keen at this section on your CV and it usually plays a huge role in job interviews. So I can’t emphasis how important it is to be very clear about what skills you possess and how relevant it is to the type of job you are applying for.
From my experience, I have carried out several interviews for my businesses and also for companies/organizations that I have represented in the past and one thing that I usually look out for are the skills that a candidate can add value to the company/organization.
It usually plays a role in decision making as to who gets a job or who doesn’t get it. I have seen many job seekers confuse ‘skills’ with ‘strengths’. Many CVs that I usually receive from job seeker tend to describe what they are naturally good at. This is more of strength than a skill. An example of strength can be something like good written/verbal communication.
A skill is something that you have learned, for example software program, speaking fluent Chinese. Don’t get me wrong, I am not disputing that strengths are not good in a CV, however skills are what most employers look for when reading the experiences that you list on your CV.
Keep it short and sweet
Avoid producing a long list of skills or using long descriptions. Think of 3-5 skills that are directly related to the job position you are applying for or specific sector you are hoping to work in.
Don’t put skills that you are not confident in explaining to someone. You need to make sure you know what you have written on your CV and also that you can easily explain each section with ease.
Something that could give you an advantage is explaining where you attained your skills and how you used it to help you accomplish goals set by previous employer(s). For example "I taught myself how to build a WordPress website using YouTube Videos and that helped me to design my first website for my father’s college business in 2014”
Remove any irrelevant skills or work experience from your CV and try and match your skills to the jobs you are planning to apply for. Sometimes people look at their CV and try to fill it with extra info so to make it look more. Less is more. Keep it simple and to the point. Remember the employer only takes some few seconds to look at each CV before making a decision considering they have so many CVs to go through.
Everyone has a skill to write down on their CV, you simple just need to go down the memory lane and think of some few experiences you have gone through some work or school and present it on a CV. We all started from somewhere.
Here are examples of some skills most employers look for, to name the least;
• Ability to work well under pressure - especially in a job position that has deadlines
• Problem solving skills – highlight the problems, solution applied and the results
• Communication skills – speaking fluent Chinese
• Teamwork skills – showing the ability that you can work well with others.
• IT skills – show ability to use technology such as operating a software, designing a website, using Word/Excel
• Quick learner - keen to learn and improve skills
Tip: Remember to also list your skills when adding your work experience in your CV.
Author: Enock Kirprono
