The Belgian job market is a highly competitive environment; you can see it by the amount of applicants to certain vacancies on LinkedIn during the first 3-12 hours after their publication. Especially for people with a foreign background who live in Belgium for a short time, it can be even more challenging because they have to compete with native Belgians, many of whom know 2-4 languages and have local diplomas. But challenging does not mean impossible: a lot depends on how you can present your candidature to an HR specialist in your CV.
Along my job seeking journey, I’ve made mistakes and also learned from them, and I became quite the expert on making an efficient resumé.
Here is some advice on how to write a CV that catches attention and will increase your chances of a job interview.
1. Remove everything that is not necessary
More does not always mean better. People often have a temptation to include all their professional experience in the “Work experience” section, but if the experience is very far from the expected job functions: cut it off. Usually, an HR specialist or a recruiter has only 30-40 seconds to evaluate an application and decide if they continue further with the CV. So, keep in your CV only the information that matches the vacancy's requirements. A good CV should not be longer than 1-2 pages.
2. Structure all the information
The human brain is lazy. It does not like to read big passages of text and try to figure out what it is about if it can’t understand it in 40 seconds, as I mentioned above. Between the high work pressure of recruiters and an abundance of other CVs, chances are lower that yours will stand out if it doesn’t have a good structure.
But what is a good structure?
The information should be divided into clearly visible blocks. Usually:
- the applicant’s personal information
- the title of the position for which they’re applying
- work experience, in chronological order
- education
- skills (including knowledge of languages)
Use structural elements:
- paragraphs
- indents
- bullet points
- headings and subheadings
The text above is easier to read because of the structural elements, isn’t it?
3. Check grammar
Always check your text for grammatical mistakes. You can use different software for it (I use Grammarly's paid version and wouldn't recommend the free one!) or at least use the Microsoft Word/Google Docs review function to check for spelling mistakes. Some other Co-Searching volunteers recommend using Grammar Check and Online Correction.
4. Use keywords of the vacancy in your CV
The same experience/functions can be described in different terms. If you have the experience required for the job you’re applying for, it’s better to describe your previous work experience using the same words as the ones used in the vacancy. Many companies use ATS (applicant tracking system) to filter CVs that match their vacancies to save time for their HR specialist. If the system does not find the keywords of the vacancy in your CV, your CV will not be seen by an HR specialist.
5. Include volunteering experience
If you don’t have a lot of professional experience but have participated in some volunteering projects, you can use volunteer work relevant for the required skills to value your application.
6. Photo and other additional information
All information in your CV shows you as a professional. That is why if you want to add a profile photo to your CV, you may, and it can give a more personal touch, but then it must be a professional-looking photo and not a photo made on a city trip or during your friend's birthday party.
The same applies to information about your hobbies: if it does not show your value as a candidate for the position, do not include it in your CV. And, even if your hobby can be an additional positive argument in your favour, I would leave it for the motivational letter. With the same logic in mind, age and marital status are not recommended for inclusion in a CV.
These principles are simple, but we often tend to overlook or forget them, which is a pity as you might lower your chances of being seen and chosen among other candidates. I hope this blogpost gave you some insights or reminded you of some stuff you knew but did not use! Apply these tips to your CV and increase your chances of getting the job you dream about.
And if you have anything to add, make sure to share that with us!
