As of August 2020, the ratio of job seekers to actual job vacancies in Australia stood at around 15:1.
That’s roughly 1,614,412 Aussies competing for 104,880 job vacancies. Yikes.
Job hunting has always been competitive, but unfortunately, since the start of the pandemic, it’s become even more difficult to stick out amongst the vast numbers of applicants.
I know for a fact that every single one of you out there has a wealth of skills and knowledge waiting to be soaked up and used to the best of your abilities.
The key is, however, getting it in the right people’s ears and eyes at the right time – and the first step to doing that is writing a schmick CV.
List Your ‘Soft Skills’ – They’re So Important
According to SEEK, the presence of soft skills is often what differentiates a good employee from a great one, rendering them hugely important in the hiring process.
So, if you’re in the process of writing your resume, sprinkling in your emotional intelligence capabilities, communication and persuasive skills, and time management abilities could be the key to woo-ing your future boss.
The best part about ‘soft skills’ is that they’re transferable, meaning they’re relevant to almost every industry. If you’re attempting a bit of a career-180, or trying for a position in the industry you’ve been wanting to crack, you can see how this is very useful.
The skills you learnt fending off Karens in your retail job, or from having to deal with your pass-ag co-workers when working towards a deadline are so vital, and just because they aren’t tangible, doesn’t make them any less valuable.
Speak The Language Of Whatever Industry You’re Going For
Understanding the ethos of the company you’re hoping to work for through the language used on your resume will be an easy way for employers to determine whether you’ll be a good fit for the job.
For example (and this may seem obvious), if you’re applying for a position as a dental assistant, it may not be the best time to whip out your favourite WAP pun. I know this is a sad reality, but sometimes the hardest things to accept in life end up helping us the most.
According to SEEK, including multiple keywords used in a job ad throughout the application is also a surefire way to get noticed amongst stacks of applications. Not only does it showcase that you’ve spent a lot of time digesting and understanding what the role will entail, but it’ll also visually convey that your skills and ambitions are in line with the company’s values.
Take a second to highlight any skills, attributes, types of technology or ways of working that may be repeated or written with importance on the job ad, and before you hit send, ensure you’ve got them peppered throughout your CV.
In saying all this, it is so important to be yourself and showcase authentically who you are throughout your application. SEEK also notes that ensuring your ‘personal brand’ is on-show can help, so including appropriate dashes of spice, emotion and fun where applicable is totally okay. At the end of the day, they are looking for a human to take the job, not a machine.
Refer To Examples Of Your Work & Portfolio Within The CV
Show don’t tell – it’s as simple as that.
Assuming most employers are going to skim through your application, it’s best to ensure your proudest moments are going to pop instantly to grab their attention.
Since we’re blessed to live in the marvellous digital age, putting together a well-designed CV on a Google or Pages doc, or even InDesign, has never been easier. Utilise features like linking out, embedding videos, or even inserting snippets of relevant examples of your previous work to your advantage.
Condensing your portfolio into an easily accessible personal website, or even a one page PDF, could be useful in this instance too. In short, make it as easy as possible for employers to see the work you’ve done in the past and how that experience is applicable to the job you’re going for.
Explain Your Accomplishments In A Quantifiable Way
Bosses love numbers. Long, flowery sentences recounting your time in a role might be fun to write, but they probably aren’t the best way to assess your impact as an employee.
Trim down what you’ve achieved in the past into quantifiable, fact-based nuggets of gold – for example, using statements like, “I grew the social media audience from 30,000 to 100,000 in 6 months”, or, “would lead weekly meetings with a team of 10.”
This may seem a tad mechanical, but it gives employers a measurable idea of how you’ve contributed to companies you’ve worked for in the past. It’ll show how capable and driven you are, and what an asset you’d be to the company without using that many words at all.
Copping rejection emails or enduring the anxiety of waiting for a response can be mentally and emotionally taxing.
Taking care of yourself while job hunting is of utmost importance – putting your health first will ensure you’ll be able to tackle any resume re-write, feedback or application requirements with the clearest headspace.
There’s plenty of advice and help on offer if you’re ever feeling stuck throughout the process, and remember to back yourself along the way.
