Why your CV is important

According to BCS, British Computer Society, the growing demand for skilled IT professionals will be frustrated by a 25% shortfall of IT graduates by 2009. This shortage however does not mean IT graduates have an easier job hunting process to find the right graduate IT job. The shortfall makes the employer more aware than ever before of the skills out there and heightens the competition to attract the best IT graduates. Due to this IT graduates should pay extra attention to their application material when applying for graduate IT jobs.

Due to job hunting being a very competitive process it is your CV that will put you ahead of the graduate competition. Research has shown that a professional CV performs an average of three to five times better than the average CV.

Your CV is your passport to an interview and therefore you need to display your unique abilities and suitability for the graduate IT job on offer. It is the first opportunity to sell yourself to the employer and for this reason your CV is a selling tool or advertisement and not just a summary of your experience. As a selling document your CV must show the benefits of hiring you over other candidates and make it easy for the employer to see the specific advantages your personality and abilities will bring to an organisation.

The best CV will ensure that you stand out from other applicants by showing what you can do for them and how to match what the employer is looking for.

There are complex rules of etiquette surrounding CVs on best practise structure and content. These rules can change over time and can vary within graduate IT positions. There are however some standard rules and tips that you should always apply.

Firstly, it is important to know that even though your CV is your sales tool you are should avoid the inclusion of false information. Never lie or over-exaggerate your skills, qualifications or experience. With companies specialising in so-called "background checks," employers can easily check if content of your CV is true.

Secondly, a personal statement summary can be utilised as a highly effective selling tool for your major strengths. This gives provides you with the ability to express your your character, personality and emphasise your skills and experience.

Thirdly, as a graduate you may or may not have experience in graduate IT positions that are necessarily relevant to the role in question. You may however have other skills and strengths that may compensate for you lack of practical experience so ensure that your CV reflects these.

In terms of formatting your CV to provide a professional look and feel follow the guidelines below;:

• Use Times New Roman;
• Save your CV as a Word document rather than Adobe as some companies do not accept the latter;
• Keep your CV concise, no more than 3 A4 pages.

Aside from this it is recommended never to leave unexplained gaps in your history. If you have spent a year travelling explain which skills you have gained from this and how this has contributed to your development.

Typically it can take up to 8 hours to write a strong CV which puts your experiences, strengths and academic achievements across, so be prepared to invest the time if your future.

A professionally written CV will give a better opportunity to secure your ideal graduate IT job. For graduate IT jobs and other graduate IT positions please visit the site: http://www.itjobsforgraduates.com/browse/Footer-Graduate-IT-Jobs/en

Source: http://www.itjobsforgraduates.com

Copyright by The IT Job Board ©