CV Writing. Creating A Job Winning Profile.

As Published In today’s  Daily Nation.

BY JOAN NGARE
A career profile is a section in the CV that represents those professional characteristics that set you apart from the rest of the competition. It is also the paragraph in which you summarize your past work experience and your professional skills and abilities while identifying your future career goals. Recruiting Managers recommend the inclusion of this section for its effectiveness in gaining you that all-important interview.A well -written one will encourage recruiting managers to keep reading to find out more of your professional details.

A career profile should highlights the most important information included on your CV-work experience achievements,educational background and other items that may be relevant to the position you are applying for rather than your personal attributes-honest,industrious, good communicator and so forth as it is the case in most CVs. You therefore need to give your career profile a careful consideration of your qualities as an employee and a thorough analysis of your employment plans.

When coming up with a career profile, think of those career development plans that you have always had to provide you with a guide to your professional life.Showcase your potential to future employer and give concrete reasons that qualify you in a certain profession. Do not state that you are a good communicator yet there is no concrete evidence to support this In short; only give the best of your abilities and achievements in the career profile.

Here are important points to bear in mind when coming up with a career profile;

o Keep your career profile section mus relevant to the type of “job area” that you are applying. What type of job are you applying for? What is attracting your eye when you read the vacancy? This can become your career objective or career statement whether it is a similar position, a promotion, or a change of career direction.

o Assess your skills and abilities. This should be easy for those who already have some work experience as their strong and weak points have already been tested at work.For those with no work experience, there are those attributes you believe can be perfected given an opportunity to put them to use.This helps you concentrate your efforts.

Remember your purpose- your value, as an employee should stand out.point out how you would benefit a company. This will involve matching up your skills and experience with that company’s goals and objectives so this means researching about that company’s nature of work as well as its goals and objectives.

Be specific.Use strong action statements when outlining your achievements in previous companies. Use figures when possible for example, reduced banks inactive accounts by 40% during the first quarter of your appointment to the position instead of “banks inactive accounts wer reduced”. Again, for fresh graduates and school leavers who might not have had the chance to work, focus on how your academic knowledge and personal skills such as leadership skills, public speaking skills, team work ability e.t.c. and of course your willingness to learn will land you in that entry-level position you are eyeing.

State the fields in which you posess expertise. You do not have to repeat your duties in your work experience, simply point out the field and the rest of your CV will act as evidence.

Conclude your career profile with your career goal/objective/aim/focus. In this section, clarify whether you are seeking an opportunity or the ability to continue within the same career field to which you are applying.

Include in the profile, a sentence that describe your most desirable quality as an employee. Avoid general terms such as hardworking, social, and polite among others as they are common with everyone and for the fact that they have to be demonstrated

Keep it concise.Your profile is just a brief advertisement of your skills and should be limited to a few lines. Remember, Recruiting Managers can always read the rest of your resume for more details.

Periodically revisit your career profile to update your progress. This comes with growth in your career.

It is also possible to structure your career profile to suit in more than one area of profession without losing meaning. All you need is to carefully integrate the two fields where each support the other , mainly in the skills.Take the case of an Educator who wants to pursue a career in administration in future.The two professions might have different roles but their abilities and skills go hand in hand in that the former supports the latter.

As you prepare to brace the job market come January, when everyone else will be making job applications, let your CV create a picture of how you do your job and the manner in which you approach people and situations by spicing it up with a catchy but realistic career profile.

Joan Ngare is a HR Officer at Corporate Staffing Services.  To Get a professional CV and increase your chances of getting interviews contact her at bettercv@staff-kenya.com. Website: www.staff-kenya.com

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