Man at Work - 10 great tips for entry-level job-seekers – the things that make your C.V. successful

 

I am almost certain that the time will soon come when you need to find a job. To do so you will need a correct and great C.V. When I started to think about the content of my first article, I was considering how many thousands of C.V.s with various forms, lengths and styles I have read throughout my career. I was also considering how many different typical mistakes can be avoided if you pay due attention to writing your C.V.

You know, the eyes of an experienced HR specialist are like those of an eagle and no spelling mistakes, untrue data or meaningless contexts escape their attention. Sometimes it is quite surprising what kind of mistakes applicants make.

This is where the idea to draft a short list of 10 points – based on the experiences of the HR advisors of Man at Work Kft. – showing you what you should do to easily avoid these:

  1. Make your C.V. unique: it should really be about you. In my nightmares the applications in our C.V. database are – excepting the personal data – all the same. Therefore “templates” are not necessarily good.
     
  2. The data in your C.V. should always reflect the truth about you. There is no need to fib! Your language and computer skills can be easily checked. It is not a good omen either if you do not remember the title of your degree thesis by heart.
     
  3. Your motivation letter should not be a template downloaded from an online job forum! After a time, we noticed that suddenly almost everyone was a great team player with excellent communication skills and above average capacity for work. You don`t believe this either, do you?
     
  4. Always attach the documents required in the job advertisement even if you apply in e-mail! It might sound strange and you might even laugh at this but it occurs daily that applications sent via e-mail do not even have a C.V. attached. This makes it really difficult to find a job.
     
  5. The cover letter should be addressed to the employer. You would also consider it to be an insult if the employer was looking for your neighbour in your house to tell him that he has got the job.
     
  6. Don`t forget to include your name and contact data in the C.V. I don`t think I have to explain this.
     
  7. If you speak a foreign language at least at a level that allows for communication, it is advisable to prepare your application in all the languages. It is a good point, what`s more, if you have prepared the translation, you`ll easily pass the foreign language interview as well.
     
  8. The foreign language C.V. should never be shorter than the Hungarian one. Do you think it is a fatal error to believe that the language skills are not quite OK?
     
  9. Use the spell checker before sending your application.
     
  10. Read through the job advertisement thoroughly and send your application only if you believe that you can be suitable based on the criteria. I know it is difficult to find a job as an entry-level job seeker, but it is really difficult to have an experience of 2-3 years if you are about to find your first job … but you only save yourself from an unpleasant rejection.