The goal of any resume is to allow the owner to stand out from the other candidates in order to get the job he or she is applying for. Yes, but to achieve this goal, you have to be more cunning than the others. You have to know how to showcase yourself through your resume in order to stand out from the crowd. A CV that does not highlight a profile is like a book that has no cover, no title and no summary. Here are our tips for creating a good and professional CV that enhances your profile.
What is a personal profile on a CV?
When you compare downloadable online CV templates, you can see at first glance that what differentiates them is the personal profile of each candidate. But what does personal profile really mean?
In order to be able to bring more precision to this, let’s summarize the main functions held by the personal profile. It must both:
– Capture recruiters’ attention by providing a heading that stands out from the rest and helps others read;
– To present yourself succinctly so that recruiters can quickly assess your skills;
– And to situate the position you are applying for in the context of your personal background so that your application is relevant.
In short, the personal profile is the section that represents you in a few sentences as an introduction. People tend to confuse it with a CV’s tagline. However, they are two different things. You should use a personal profile if you have a professional project to carry out and if you can specify it in your CV more clearly.
On the other hand, if you don’t have a specific project and you just need a job, you can opt for the teaser. In any case, a CV that highlights the candidate’s profile is more convincing to recruiters because it demonstrates the candidate’s seriousness and interest in the position he or she is applying for. From this “personal profile” section, recruiters will be able to learn about your goals in life and thus determine whether you are suitable for a particular position to meet the company’s needs.
Bring out your personality
If writing is not your forte, you may want to skip this “personal profile” section. There are other ways to enhance your profile through your resume. All you need to do is to bring out your personality. To do this, work on your title and your tagline, which allow you to be identified and to stand out.
In the title, it will be the type of job you aspire to that you should include, such as “Fullstack Developer”, for example. This way, your recruiter will understand at first glance what position your resume is for.
Then, after the title comes the tagline. In this section, say what you think is best about yourself (professionally and personally) in 4-5 lines maximum. And to make it attractive enough, use keywords. Use those of the ad or those concerning your know-how. The purpose of this tagline is to let readers know who you are, what your aspirations are, and what your project is.
Prioritize and organize
The right profile for any position is the person who has a sense of organization. And this quality can be demonstrated through the writing of your CV itself. Organize all of your skills, experience, and training information in an anti-chronological manner. The order of appearance of your information should be from the most recent to the oldest, and from the most important to the least important.
If you have just graduated from university and are looking for your first job, put your training and internships first to hide the big hole of your “inexperience”.
As for the “personal profile” or “teaser” section, enter your information in order of importance: contact information, know-how, technical skills, languages, and hobbies.
Adapting your CV to different circumstances
In order to enhance your profile, also try to write different resumes for different occasions. Sending the same CV for every job may not be appreciated by recruiters. Moreover, it can impact your image, especially if the different companies for which you have applied know each other but may not have the same expectations. Therefore, give up the idea of creating a standard CV. There is no such thing as a standard CV or cover letter.
The important thing is to find new inspirations for each application so that you highlight yourself. This way, you are sure to interest your potential interviewer through your CV.
Evacuate unhelpful information
In order to attract the recruiter’s attention, you must also convince him or her that you know how to distinguish between useful and useless information. Moreover, your CV should not exceed 1 to 2 pages. It is quite logical that it may not contain everything. You must therefore only include useful information that is relevant to the position or the mission assigned or that complements it.
On that note, you have to be very careful because the meaning of the term “useless” can vary from one person to another. What you hastily judge as useless can perfectly and unconsciously contribute to the enhancement of your profile. Nevertheless, there are clues to differentiate the useful from the useless.
Unnecessary information is anything that has to do with your high school career. Recruiters are only interested in your academic background. You should not talk about your high school diplomas, even if you are proud of them.
And regarding the information that many people think is useless but is recommended to be inserted in the CV, it is, for example, about your hobbies and interests. A person who has certificates in swimming, or skiing or has a project in parallel with the work you aspire to, can perfectly interest recruiters. If you are this person, you should not hesitate to mention them. It is your personal assets that can make an incredible difference. Far from what you may think, this information will arouse the curiosity of the recruiters who will be your future employees.
