The language of CVs isn’t always obvious, but we’ve got you covered. Try these 7 magic strategies from someone who should know—HR veteran Anwar Janahi.
Your résumé is a representation of yourself. It’s the messenger you send to the corporate world to inform them of your accomplishments, capabilities, and goals. Over the course of my career, I have come across thousands of CVs. Here are some tips and tricks from an HR perspective to make your CV stand out.
- Digitize: Long gone are the days when we used to print our CVs and send them to companies. Not only do these go straight to the recycling bin, but you’re also wasting paper. It’s old-fashioned, which reflects on your personality. Most companies want to employ caring and progressive individuals.
- Short and sweet: Who wants to read a six-page resume? Keep it to a maximum of two pages. Only list what’s important (career, education, personal information, contacts). Summarize it for a better chance of HR reading your entire CV.
- Hobbies: Most Bahrainis claim they have no hobbies, but anything you do in your spare time could be a hobby. Don’t feel ashamed to list hobbies you think might sound boring or unappealing. If you enjoy it, then list it. Hobbies reflect your personality and who you are outside of work, which is more important than you think.
- On the cloud: Create a CV, save it in PDF format, upload it to a file-hosting website (e.g. Google Drive). Sending links via email is safer, and your CV has a higher chance of being delivered. Designers and architects must add a link to their online portfolio to demonstrate their work; website creators need to link our own personal webpage.
- Be creative: Try to make your CV look appealing. Not everyone is a designer, so don’t worry—there are many free, ready-made templates available online. If you’re a graphic designer, you will need to design your own CV to reflect your capabilities.
- Social media: Companies don’t want to see your football ranting tweets. LinkedIn pages are commonly used by HR professionals to seek out new talent, and they represent the most professional form of social media. Make sure to update yours regularly. Keep it professional: list your studies, degrees, and accomplishments, and make sure you have a good profile picture.
- Look professional: Adding a picture to your CV is encouraged, but a selfie is NOT appropriate! A picture with a plain background (passport style) costs no more than BD4 at your neighborhood photo studio. If you cannot even afford that, dress up and stand in front of a white wall, and have someone take your picture.
