Genesis Archives - The CV Central

The importance of a CV

Daniël Meiring — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 09:51:14 +0000

Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but people do not understand the importance of their CVs. Whether they are looking for a new job, or trying to climb the corporate ladder, it seldom happens that you manage to do that without a good looking resume.
Even if you are connected these days, the administrative bureaucracy dictates that at some point you do need to submit a CV.

Google, why is a CV important and you will find; “A completed CV aims to impress recruiters and is sent as an application to jobs adverts or as a speculative approach to prospective companies.

CVs are valuable and important because they are your first and maybe only direct communication with a potential employer. Presentation is KEY.”

So why do people neglect their CVs? For the same reason they constantly complain that they do not get that “Call back”.

All because people do not understand the importance of their CV design.
People forget that a well-designed CV significantly increases their chances of landing a job. With your CV you cannot afford to disappoint. Times are tough and many people are looking for work. There are jobs out there, but you won’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. Take Peter Pyper’s CV as an example, would you hire him on his ‘before’ or ‘after’ CV?

Did you know that recruiters spend an average of 2 seconds on your CV before they decide whether you are going on the ‘In’ or ‘Out’ pile? This means your CV needs to impress first round. You’ll need to bring your A-game. With our field tested designs we can proudly say we give our clients an advantage. Each CV is put through a rigorous screening process to ensure zero errors on completion. We give in-depth professional advice on each CV and content thereof.

Imagine getting 100’s of CVs across your desk daily. How would you choose who to interview? Obviously, the CVs that stand out, the ones that make you take notice, right? Like it or not, initially, ‘books’ are judged by their covers. Have a look at the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of Peter Pyper’s CV and ask yourself which one will be favourable in landing Peter the interview?

An excellent CV has the power to open doors. Your resume should describe your qualifications as well as your unique qualities. For you to stand out amongst other applications, you need to demonstrate your strengths and capabilities without being in the room.

An excellent CV grabs the attention of the reader; it sells your strongest skills and accomplishments.

An excellent CV communicates effectively, and most importantly it gets you noticed.

Now for a last look at the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of Peter Pyper. Who will you choose to interview?

With industry specific specialisations and skills matrixes, our CVs are engaging and stir interest wherever viewed. Our first design ‘The Professional’ made waves in New Zealand, with feedback from United Kingdom, Italy and USA pouring in.

With record unemployment rates and millions of job seekers, one simply cannot afford to send out a mediocre CV, and I don’t know how anyone can let themselves do it. In my long and prosperous career in the recruitment industry, I have come across some interesting CVs. The biggest issues still remain; spelling mistakes, spacing issues and design layouts, reminiscent of something originating in the 90s. We even still see some “frame era” CVs, which were quite popular with the airline industry in some countries back in the 80s.

Have your CV assessed with us. The assessment is FREE and we offer you a confidential, professional CV consulting, editing and writing service at an unbeatable price. Our closest competitor is about three times more expensive than us. Our process is simple and easy to navigate, as we are reachable on virtually all platforms.

The cost of your CV redesign with The CV Central is minuscule compared to what you can gain from it.
You get industry insight straight from the source, while the true value of our CVs is leveraged by more than 12 years experience in the recruitment and selection sectors, and our ability to present the right information and convey the targeted message to the person intended, giving us the edge over other creative writers.

Job markets are opened up on Monday 1 June 2020. You need to bring your A-game. Sectors are already advertising vacancies, everyone needs to be prepared.

We will help you be first in line for that new job.

The post The importance of a CV appeared first on The CV Central.

There is always a job for the outstanding.

Daniël Meiring — Mon, 11 May 2020 08:38:27 +0000

There is always a job for outstanding people.

I wanted to write a short blog on the importance of getting your CV done professionally in this day and age. In my search to find out if there is indeed still work out there, I stumbled upon many scary statistics and realities. From businesses closing their doors after years of operation, to entire markets collapsing, many people are facing the grim reality of being laid off or being put on half time. Job scarcity is driving the importance of a well-designed, field tested CV.

What I saw in my research is that there are in fact jobs out there. Not as many as we would have hoped for, but there are. So there is light at the end of the tunnel. Numbers might have changed since my research was done, so see latest statistics at https://www.bestjobs.co.za/jobs/
In Gauteng alone there were roughly 12 700 advertised vacancies in April 2020, followed by Western Cape (3 300) and KwaZulu-Natal (2 300).

This means companies are still employing! Yay, some good news in the grim world of business.

Job scarcity is definitely driving creativity. We need to start thinking out side the box if we want to succeed post COVID-19. Job scarcity is driving a flood of applicants to the recruiter’s door. In order to stand out from the rest you will need a well-designed CV. It’s as simple as that.

Imagine getting 100’s of CVs across your desk daily. How would you choose who to interview? Obviously, the CVs that stand out, the ones that make you take notice, right?

An excellent CV has the power to open doors. There are always jobs for people with outstanding CVs.

Your resume should describe your qualifications and what makes you unique. To stand out among other applicants, you need to demonstrate your strengths and capabilities without being in the room.
An excellent CV grabs the attention of the reader, it sells your strongest skills and accomplishments.
An excellent CV communicates your competencies and most importantly, it gets you noticed.

From what I could find, we still have a number of positions available in South Africa paying some pretty decent salaries. I wish the world would focus a bit more on the opportunities our beautiful country does have to offer, and a little less on the bad stuff.

In the professional sector alone we had roughly 6 300 Administrative/Clerical positions, in April 2020. A decline in Sales figures dropped to a sad 3 100, but I’m confident it will bounce back as soon as the markets fully open up again. Nothing happens without a sale.

Accounting / Finance and Customer Services accounted for well over 3 000 opportunities, adding the balance leads me to believe there are still jobs out there. Yes they are few and far between, but this highlights the importance of a well drafted, well executed CV that speaks to your strengths. There are always jobs for people with outstanding CVs.

But then it also goes beyond the CV. It’s about the way you carry yourself over the phone, your on-line etiquette and vocabulary. The interview stage is a daunting experience for us all. In my experience in the recruitment and selection industry I have seen the most accomplished candidates dive into the final goal posts and lose the job due to curse words, or over confidence. Recruiters can sense when you become too friendly and relaxed, which can create a bad impression. This can cost the most seasoned experts dearly. And then they wonder why they are not getting that final call back.

I have decided to share regular interview tips, CV tips and overall workplace etiquette tips via social media posts from time to time. We created our very first #tipstuesday post on Tuesday the 5th of May with 12 Tips of acing an online job interview. Go have a look on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram, let us know your thoughts. Many more will follow, but I hope I reach some people and in doing so, manage to help them.

The true value of our CVs is leveraged by more than 15 years experience within the recruitment sector, and our ability to present the right information and convey the targeted message across to the intended person. This gives us an edge over regular, creative writers.

Our passion is in the right place, and that is to help people land that interview.

People underestimate the impact their CVs have on a chance of landing the job they desire. I personally, fully understand the pressures and trauma associated with job hunting, the daunting task of putting a CV together and sending it out into the world. We include industry specific specialisation and skills matrixes, our CVs are engaging and they stir interest wherever viewed.

Our passion is in the right place, and that is helping our clients land more interviews. There are always jobs for people with outstanding CVs.

I want to close with words from Paulo Coelhos brilliant novel, Pilgrimage “You are so concerned about finding your sword (job) that you forgot the most important thing: you have to get there.”

Whether it is to find a job or move up the ladder. Looking at this scenario, your CV is your starting point, and first impressions matter. Get an outstanding CV to go with your outstanding accomplishments.

The post There is always a job for the outstanding. appeared first on The CV Central.

How it all began..

Daniël Meiring — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 08:05:14 +0000

With more than 12 years worth of experience in recruitment and selection, I think at this stage of my career it is safe to say I know what recruiters are looking for in candidates and their CV content. It was my job to do so. On any given day, I would have at least 50 candidate files on my desk. Employers used our services to send them suitable candidates, meeting stringent, specific requirements.The sad reality is that sometimes well qualified, competent candidates get overlooked due to badly designed CVs. Spelling mistakes, spacing errors, insufficient information… the list is long. A good CV will get your foot in the door. Take this from someone who’s been in business for the better part of two decades.

Hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, I cringe at the thought of how many perfectly suitable candidates slipped through the cracks in the very first round of the application process. All of this could have been avoided if their CV’s were simply more presentable. People are always taken aback when I explain how easily one can miss out on the perfect opportunity, despite being perfectly matched for the position. Missing out on a great opportunity simply because of bad ‘CV aesthetics’ happens far more often than you would think. My frustrations with this gave rise to an opportunity, and this, ladies and gentlemen, is how The CV Central was born.

Using my expertise, I started creating CVs for friends and family. One by one, the vast majority of them started getting interviews and jobs. They started referring their friends and I was getting calls and emails on a daily basis from people who needed my help. I decided to set up shop, and start my own small business. It is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. It gives me immense pleasure when people call me up and say “Danny! Thanks man! I got the job!”

It’s a fact that during these uncertain economic times, there will be a lot of people flooding the job market. Help me help you.

Let’s get your foot in the door and land you that precious job.

The time is now!

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