HR Speaks: The CV’s That Stand Out From Thousands of Applicants!

By Susan Gitonga

The rate of unemployment among Kenyans has increased over the last few years, as more and more people acquire degree certificates, thus competing for the very few available opportunities within the job market.

That said, every advert we post here on the site receives thousands of applications and only a few stand out from the pack.

The beauty of sending applications to employers is that in as much as not everyone gets shortlisted, there are those who remain memorable to the recruiters thus earning the interviews and job offers.

How do they do it?

How To Stand Out from Your Competition

1.Show off your work in a portfolio.

In order to stand out, you must present your application in a unique way. Avoid being boring and sending your application in the same style as everyone else.

Even if you don’t have a background in design, you can engage the services of a graphic designer to create a beautiful presentation of a project you were involved in for instance, which you can attach to your application.

You can also create a website that showcases some of your work. The idea is to give the employer a clear insight into who you are, what you can do and how his/her company can benefit from your skills.

In the interview stage, preparing a power point presentation about what you have achieved and some of the projects you have been involved in (with videos and photos) will give the employer confidence in your abilities and ultimately give you the job.

2.Don’t Go for Quantity Over Quality.

A few years back, I was sending the same cover letter to all employers, expecting to be invited for an interview. I thought that sending many job applications to different companies would increase my chances of getting a job, but I was wrong.

You must treat a job application very seriously.

Don’t be in a hurry to send your CV and Cover letter without first learning about the company, doing your research and tailoring your CV  to the needs of the company. Never use the same cover letter for every job. Spend some time writing to each particular company.

At the end of the day, quality wins over quantity.

3. Solve a Company Problem.

As I mentioned earlier, research is one of the greatest selling points for any employee looking for a job. A company will be looking to for someone who can be an asset to the company. They are looking for a skilled person to solve their problems.

A problem, in this case, is a need.

In your research, you should be able to identify the weaknesses and needs of a company and provide a solution to it. For example, is their website ‘dead’ and not updated? Provide a solution to that…

When you are offered the job, what will you bring to the company, based on the companies’ needs and the skills you have?

You need to make that clear in your Cover Letter.

4.Don’t Propose Something That Shows You Are Out Of Touch.

You might have a thousand and one skills , but are they related to the job you are applying for? To add on, as you seek to solve a company problem, it must be measurable in the sense that there is a clear plan that shows how you will execute it.

You should never at any one time propose an idea that a company cannot take up.

For example, if you are applying for a Communications job in a Hospital, you cannot propose that you will be filming live medical procedures to share on social media, to market the hospital. This idea is not in itself bad, but it breaches many medical laws.

Professional CV Writing Services.

Having a unique application is the only way you can stand out from the crowd, using the tips mentioned above. Are you finding trouble coming up with a top selling CV? Schedule an appointment with us for a  review of your CV and CV writing services.

Susan is a Communications and Digital marketing Officer at Career Point Kenya. Email: susan@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke