Well... okay, so it began as 10 tips! But going through our list, it was not comprehensive enough to cater for the needs of both newcomers to the working world and established professionals, so here is a more inclusive list of tips we can all make use of.
Ensure that you are contactable at all times. Check that your cellphone number, home number and "alternative contact" names and telephone number are included on your CV.
If you have submitted your CV to IMM Recruitment for inclusion in our database and your details have changed, please advise us, either by submitting an updated CV or dropping us a line with your updated details.
Do remember to include details regarding the status of your drivers licence and whether you have a car. This is particularly important to us as an agency when we are screening for positions that require both.
This has become an essential tool in the workplace. Remember to list the programs that you are comfortable using, and those in which you are proficient. If you have advanced working knowledge of any programme, bring that to the reader's attention.
Singularly the most important part of your CV. Remember to list all the duties you carried in each of your previous jobs. (review CV Rescue part 1 and 2 on this blogsite)
Be as specific as possible about your start and end dates in various jobs, and remember to indicate whether these were permanent or temporary positions. (because your CV may appear to be that of a "job hopper" when in fact you have filled temporary or contract positions.)
In the case of short courses and diplomas, remember to indicate the duration of the training you have received.
Review "CV Rescue Part 2 - CV outline" on this blog. Have you remembered to show the break-down of your current package?
Your listed referees should not be friends or colleagues as they will not necessarily be credible references. Instead, provide names of the persons to whom you reported or a senior member of staff with whom you worked closely. Where possible, keep written references from all your employers, which can be attached to your cv. Referees cannot be contacted without your verbal authorisation, and therefore you can choose to leave these out of your cv and simply state "references provided on request". However, if you have a good relationship with your referees, there really is no reason to wish to keep the information confidential.
Misrepresentation of yourself, your experience or your education is dishonest. Sooner or later it will come to
light. Never provide false information or certificates.
Recruitment agencies will ask you to fill in an "intake" form. On this form you will notice that there is a section where you give permission for them to conduct ITC or criminal record checks. It is illegal for agencies to conduct a criminal check without your signed consent.
The South African law states that it is not required of you to disclose certain information about yourself, such as information related to your marital status, whether or not you have children or are pregnant, your health , whether or not you have certain illnesses such as AIDS or TB, etc. This information can be found in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. That said, please excercise wisdom with regards to what you choose not to disclose. After all, you do not wish to create the impression that you are deliberately trying to hide something. Both employers and agencies should know what not to ask but in the same token, if you feel it may cause some unintended discrimination, steer clear of questions about these topics. Personally, I have always volunteered all such information feeling that I'd like an open and honest relationship from the beginning, but it is a personal choice in the end, and one protected by law.
Do a spelling check on your email introduction and your CV attachment. Read through it and check your grammar. Make sure that bulleted information is neatly lined up and your paragraph spaces and indexed information is neat and falls perfectly beneath the previous tab.
Happy Job Hunting!
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