CV Writing: The First Thing Employers Will Consider

By Selipha Kihagi

Sending applications for consideration in various open jobs has never been easier. All one is needed to do is send a CV and Cover Letter through an email address provided or upload the documents on the company recruitment portals. Some organizations will not even ask for the cover letter and are instead content with just your CV. But while the application process is getting easier, the selection process is getting tougher.

Employers and recruiters are faced with the challenge of selecting a few suitable candidates from a large sum of applicants applying for the same job. This becomes even harder when the number of graduates multiplies by size every passing year. As this becomes the case, employers and recruiters are now establishing fast and more effective methods to select suitable candidates with ease.

And these methods have one thing in common; they begin with employers looking at one particular section in the CV.

So, what CV section comes first to employers?

The experience section. When it comes to the hiring process, employers and HR professionals are more concerned with your years of experience than they are with your educational qualifications. Not to say that your Degree or Diploma is not important, it is, but it will always come secondary in the selection process.

Most employers do not want to begin on training after they are done with hiring. It will constitute to using more resources, which is one thing employers want to avoid especially with the current economy. It will also use up time that companies and organizations do not want to lose out on. This is why you will even find internship positions requiring a little bit of experience.

So, as you apply for that job today or tomorrow, remember this;

1. Your experience comes first
If you look at a job advert and confirm that you match the education and skills, don’t assume that employers will overlook the fact that you do not have the needed years of experience. Most recruiters will not even get to read your education section if your experience is nil or lower than what they are looking for.

If you can, maximize on portraying your experience in the field however insignificant you think it is. This will get them to continue reading through your CV.

2. Your duties will also matter a great deal
Having the experience needed is one thing and the duties held in each position are another thing altogether. You may have held the position advertised in a different company but your duties do not translate to the experience needed.

“When it comes to hiring, the top 5 duties are what matter to employers,” says Perminus Wainaina, Managing Partner & Head of Recruitment at Corporate Staffing Services. So, maximize on showing relevance to the current job by listing the most important duties first.

Once the employer is satisfied that your experience matches what they are looking for in the job, they then move towards vetting your other qualifications for suitability. So when applying to jobs, put focus on the experience required to avoid unnecessary rejection.