The Objectives of a Curriculum Vitae

The Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume is the probably the most important document a candidate for a job will ever write. When it works effectively, the doors of opportunity open but when it does not work, opportunities for gainful employment recede. It therefore needs full attention and thorough preparation.

The candidate CV acts as a powerful ambassador. It is usually the first point of contact a job applicant will have with a potential employer, particularly when the employer is overseas. A poorly drafted CV creates in the eyes of the employer the view that the candidate is sloppy with weak organisational skills, poor attention to detail and limited communication abilities. First impressions are important and a negative evaluation is unlikely to achieve successful outcomes of proceeding to interviews and the ultimate goal job offers.

The key objectives of a CV are to:

• create the favourable impression of a well qualified, competent candidate for the job
• secure a job interview
• form the basis of interview questions
• secure a job offer
   

This arti will show you how to write a CV that effectively targets your desired jobs and secures the interviews you need to get them, in a few easy steps. We shall start with a few tips for initial preparation, ideas for the research you need to do and then the easy bit, writing the document.

An Overview of CV Drafting

Successful CV drafting requires an overview of the writing process with some general considerations of presentation and vocabulary, research into the essential credentials and requirements of the job followed by drafting the document.

1: The highly ranked and productive CV: keywords and presentation

The CV must be both discoverable and productive; that means highly ranked by digital search tools for the right key words and terms to rank highly on data bases searches and containing the key information to get reviewed and shortlisted.

Most CVs for job applications are submitted and stored electronically in large data bases with hundreds, perhaps thousands of others. Most job applicants assume that the CV submitted will be reviewed and evaluated promptly by a person after application, but this is usually not the case. The volume of applications for popular jobs and the imitated capacity of most human resource departments precludes this.  Most CVs are simply logged and stored in electronic data bases until the closing date of the job and then retrieved from the data bases by recruiters running searches for candidates using key words and phrases relevant to the job, as in a google search.

Some candidate data bases use simple Boolean search terms. The more sophisticated ones use artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms with the consequence that resumes ranking poorly for relevant key words and terms will not be highly ranked and hence not reviewed, regardless of their quality. Candidates must therefore pay due attention to the Boolean or AI search terms which are most relevant to the role for which they are applying, and adapt the CV to each job application. A generic CV submitted for multiple jobs is unlikely to attract serious attention. The goal must be to ensure that the CV consistently arrives at the top of job applicant searches. Even the best CV without the right key words will remain at the bottom of the data base.

Below we shall look at how you can find the right key words but first, a few tips for CV presentation.

The CV must be drafted and formatted in a style which is search engine friendly with a simple and concise layout punctuated with clear and relevant headings. A plain and professional font should be used and important information clearly laid out in text blocks, with appropriate heading titles. Avoid features which upset or confuse search engines such as photographs, graphics, complex format and tables.

Popular fonts include:

times new roman

arial

calibri

Helvetica

Poppins

In summary, focus on keywords and presentation to ensure CV discovery by recruiters, and then concentrate on content and the 10 second test to get shortlisted.

2: Pass The 10 Seconds Test

To the dismay of most job applicants, after a CV lands at the top of a data base search, 10 seconds is the average length of time a recruiter will devote to its initial screening for key job criteria. Recruiters look for specific job related information which must be quickly identifiable. The CV must be clear, concise and targeted to the job. Eliminate all irrelevant information.

3: Keyword Research

Job titles job adverts and job descriptions are the three sources of keywords for a CV.

Job Title

The CV should target the job title used in the country or company where the candidate is applying to work. For example, General Practitioners in the UK, Ireland and Australia are called Family Physicians in Canada and the USA and Family Medicine Consultants or Specialists in the Middle East. The wrong job title will make the CV discoverable for jobs the candidate does not want and undiscoverable for desired jobs. Read more about the variable job titles across the world in our article about medical job titles.

Job Adverts

Job adverts should provide the correct job title and a list of essential ( ie non negotiable) credentials for the job along with some desirable or non essential credentials plus the major responsibilities. They may also provide some information about the employer. This is a source of target key words.

Job Descriptions:

Job descriptions are not always available and when they are, can be absurdly generic and unhelpful. However these documents should be scanned where possible for potentially relevant keywords including qualifications, skills, experience, achievements, success profile, targets and outcomes.

4: The CV Presentation

The golden rule with CV drafting is do not do anything unusual. Attractive graphics or photographs may enhance appearance but will deter search engines and ultimately defeat the objective of the CV. A standard, well set out document in a plain font on a word or pdf file works best. The aim is to impress with the content and not the design.

Do:

• Design a clear, easily readable structure and consistent layout with appropriate headings and subheadings.
• Use standard professional fonts
• Include a summary of qualifications, skills and experience.
• Spell check thoroughly
• Ensure there are no errors of content.

Do not:

• Use standard templates (these quick and easy to draft but are too common. Layouts can be confusing and graphics do not work well with search engines).
• Use landscape page layout (this is too awkward to read).
• Use more than 2 fonts (too messy).
• Add images, tables or graphics (search engines penalise)
• Use coloured text (black is best).

5:The Content

The content of the CV must be tailored for each job application, targeting the key job criteria and success factors in a succinct, neatly set out document. Start with a summary of  qualifications, professional licence status, experience, skills and achievements and then provide further detail in the body of the CV, showing precisely how the eligibility criteria for the job are satisfied.

Where possible, add examples of transferrable skills important for the job success:

• effective team working
• efficient time management
• organisational skills
• excellent communication skills
• analytic problem-solving abilities
• creativity
• leadership
• perseverance and resilience. 

Once the CV is complete, run the spellcheck, draft a cover letter and send it off. 

Applications for Medical and Health Jobs Worldwide

Candidates interested in working internationally are invited to register a CV and contact us to discuss opportunities.

Further information about working with recruitment agencies, drafting CVs and cover letters, preparing lists of credible references, tips for successful interviews and professional registration in various jurisdictions can be read on our career resources section.

Advertised jobs are shown on our website and applications can be made by uploading a recent CV. This should accurately reflect the essential requirements as set out in the job advert and discussed in this article above.