Is It Time to Search Engine Optimise your CV?

The internet has become the primary place where people look for employment. So it only makes sense to layout your resume or CV to ensure that your standout from the crowd; this is a little difficult given that there are already 1000s of applicants gunning for the same job as you are. How do you gain a vantage point amongst a large stack of resume queueing up on a recruiters list of applicants?

You have to apply SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) tactics to your resume, and this helps your resume to respond to a range of search algorism used by recruitment websites and job portals. Because recruiters browse through a lot of CVs for a single job, they need to know what you’re about and what you’re good at first glance of your resume or CV.

Using a resume maker can help you shape your CV in the best possible way and help you stand out.

Applicant Tracking Systems are gaining traction with recruiters and it is advised that jobseekers carefully phrase their key skills and strengths. Job opportunities across industries will always require a certain skills set, so it is important to research similar profiles, think about all the work you have done in the past and the skills you have gain throughout your career. You can then decide on which keywords best describe your experience and skills, and how you are defining your career path.

Your CV is a lot like your biography, you need to catch someone’s attention with something other than your catchy name; an informative headline is key so that recruiters get an immediate idea of who they dealing with. You can include your qualification, international experience and the number of years you have worked can be impressive, e.g. CEO with an MBA, 15 years’ experience in the South African Mining Industry and the Swiss Government.

To get your point across as fast as possible, make your resume ROAR (Results Oriented and Relevant) by using phrases like “Increased bottom line by 80% with the first 6 months of tenure.” Also include relevant hyperlinks to companies you have worked for and projects you have worked on. In addition, you should also add your social media profiles, because this is a great way to show a potential employer the type of person you are and how you would fit into the organisational culture.