The job market is tight with so many job seekers applying for the same roles. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the students to find employment. Many essential student CV format elements go missing.
Let us have a look at some student CV format hints to improve your chances of getting hired.
Student CV Format Hints
Objective Statement
An objective statement or personal statement or career snapshot or professional summary, you can call it with so many names. Unfortunately, the biggest student CV format mistakes are thinking 180 degrees opposite.
On average, students in Pakistan write about the values they will get when they work for the company. Like, I would like to apply myself, learn, and seek a position to challenge my abilities. All these things are real, and you want to learn on the job.
However, companies are not much interested in what will you get out of the job. They want to know what values you will bring to the job. For example, a Finance Graduate can bring in benefits like Financial Statement Analysis, Credit Management, passing Journal Entries or doing so many other things.
If you are applying for an advertised position, try to add to your objective statement things the company requires. Try to find a balance between what the company wants and what you can offer instead.
Skills
Technical skills are vital for any job role. However, the term technical skill is about the industry. For example, Technical Skills for a finance graduate would be financial statement analysis. However, for a web developer, PHP would be a professional competence.
Technical skills are core to your profession. These skills define your primary job role or function that you can perform for an organization.
Besides technical skills, you also need to work on Functional and Transferrable skills. The functional skills help you better manage your job. The ability to communicate, orally and in writing, is a great way to prove your worth.
Lastly, you can use transferable skills across jobs. For example, you can use analytical abilities in different types of roles
How to cover no experience?
Every student in Pakistan wants to know what they should do if they do not have any job experience? Well, most of the professional institutes ask their students to avail internship opportunities. Some of these universities also have placement offices to work for their students.
Never let go an opportunity to learn with on the job training. In Professional Experience, you can mention your internship experience and the tasks you performed.
If you did not get a chance to do an internship, it is never too late. Try to get a six months’ internship at a company where you can do the work of your chosen field. Do not worry about the salary perks. The experience you gain during your internship is far more valuable than the salary at this stage.
In student CV format, always mention in detail about your internship experience. If you have friendly relations with your supervisor, you can also give their reference. Friendly relations with seniors can help you go a long way in your career.
Everything You Did Is Important
Students often tend to take class assignments lightly. At the beginning of your career, you need to solid working experience to market yourself for a role. Therefore, if you get a chance, always showcase class assignments which add value to the job position. Never underestimate those tough assignments you completed during your academic years while undergoing professional studies.
Avoid Including Your Picture
There is a lot of discussions whether you should include your picture or not. Well, psychologists recommend that you do not add your picture. When you include your picture, you may decrease your chances of getting hired.
A photo on your student CV may create stereotypes in the mind of the HR or recruitment manager. Therefore, avoid using a picture on your student CV format, unless you are applying for a job where the picture is mandatory. One example of applying for a job where the picture might help is that of an air hostess.
Do Not Include Unnecessary Details
Avoid including unnecessary things in your CV. Some examples include the following.
- The recruiters understand that you have submitted your CV, so there is no point writing anywhere on it words like “Curriculum Vitae” or “CV.”
- Do not disclose personal information not required by the recruiter. Some students tend to include likes, dislikes, hobbies, or things related to gender orientation. The inclusion of such things may go against you or let the recruiter judge you without even meeting you.
- Avoid including controversial views in your CV about a person, entity, company, personality, religion, political party, or anything. These controversial views may result in getting you rejected right away.
- Do not include achievements if you think they will not add any value to the CV. Student CV format must only include accomplishments which relate to the job role.
- Avoid giving unnecessary length to the CV by adding details like nationality, citizenship status, visa status, your religion and other such things.
- Do not add salary expectations in your curriculum vitae. You need to discuss salary expectations during a job interview. You need first to impress your interviewer instead of demanding a pay without even making a great first impression.
Grammar, Spelling and Formatting Mistakes
A student CV format must be clean and without grammatical or spelling or other issues. Take time to proofread your CV before sending it to the employer. An employer only spends a few second on each CV and decides whether to shortlist it or throw it away. You can ask your friend or a family member to proofread your CV for you. Avoid using colorful CV formats which distract the employer or potential recruiter. Stick to a black and white format with white background.
Use of Right Fonts
Do not use fancy fonts on your CV. Your student CV format must look professional and formal. Some of the standard font choices for a student CV format include Arial, Calibri, Cambria, and Garamond.
