Making the CV stand out requires exceptional editing skills to highlight the keywords, skills and achievements for the desired role.
Photo credit: Christina
You have hired a professional CV writer or taken a CV writing course, but for some reason you have not been shortlisted for the job you had applied for. What could be the problem? You wonder. The solution is simple; edit your CV and cover letter for each job that you apply for. If you are wondering why you should edit despite paying thousands to a professional writer, here is why.
1. To make the content scannable
In a world where errors have repercussions, the last thing you need is to submit a CV full of errors. Recently, we shared things you should never include in your CV, and with resume trends floating around, a CV written a few years ago by professionals may not stand out today. Gone are the days when CVs were judged based on their lengths. Today, with a pile of responsibilities and a short attention span, recruiters care about the scannability of the content. This means that you should not only focus on the career trends but also preferences by recruiters.
2. To update the date and the addresses
Most professional CV writers act with the details they have been given to draft a clean and concise CV. They may include the date or the name of a specific company and it is up to you to change it.
3. To adjust for a particular role
Based on your experience, you may be fit for multiple jobs. Making the CV stand out requires exceptional editing skills to highlight the keywords, skills and achievements for the desired role.
4. To include relevant contact address
Recently, a case emerged of a recruiter telling the job seeker to include a functional phone number for further communication about a job. To show the importance of editing the CV, the affected individual went on to detail how he had used the same CV for more than a year without success. This is a rare occurrence as some would proceed to interview other candidates. It is also a wakeup call for you to check if the contact details provided are correct.
Finally,
Additional editing of the CV or cover letter does not mean that you can’t rely on a professional writer cannot be trusted. On the contrary, they are the best people who will help bypass the screening level to make the recruiter read the application. But you also have a responsibility of ensuring the CV is in the best state possible.
About the author.
Catherine Wanjiru is a writer, author of Layers of a Human and a personal development enthusiast.
