The job market is highly competitive, and job seekers should stand out to be noticed by recruiters. With the ever-increasing number of applicants, recruiters must be more selective in choosing the best candidates for the job. More and more factors should be considered besides candidates’ education and related working experiences.
Hiring the right employees is a crucial aspect of any business as the company’s success can be based on the primary workforce, by their talents and skills respectively. This article aims to provide insight into what recruiters look for in candidates and how job seekers can improve their chances of being selected for their dream job.
An Overview of A Preferable Curriculum Vitae (CV)
A CV, or curriculum vitae, is a document used to showcase an individual’s educational and professional achievements, work experience, and relevant skills. It is known as a common document for every candidate who wants to apply for a job or a position.
In some creative industries or higher positions, recruiters also require candidates to submit their portfolio – a document or report comprising their previous working experiences, products, and creations for better evaluation.
For a typical CV, it includes the following sections:
- Personal Information: This section should include your full name, professional title and contact information such as phone number, email address and location.
- Professional Summary: This section should provide a brief overview of your career goals, fundamental skills, and experience. It should highlight your most relevant qualifications for the position you are applying for.
- Education: This section should list your educational achievements, including the name of the institution, degree or qualification obtained, and the date of graduation. You can also include relevant coursework, thesis or dissertation topics, and academic awards.
- Work Experience: This section should list your previous work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job. Include the company’s name, job title, employment dates, and a brief description of your responsibilities and accomplishments.
- Skills: This section should list any relevant skills you have that are specific to the position you are applying for. These may include technical skills, language skills, or soft skills such as communication and leadership.
- Achievements: This section should highlight any noteworthy achievements or accomplishments you have achieved throughout your career. These may include awards, publications, presentations, or significant contributions to your field.
What Recruiters Look for in Candidates
After having a general skim through the CV, recruiters would pay more attention to the part that can illustrate the candidate’s skills. It can be either soft skills or hard (technical) skills.
Hard skills refer to the technical abilities, knowledge, and expertise required to perform specific tasks. On the other hand, soft skills are personal qualities that enable individuals to interact effectively with others.
When highlighting their hard and soft skills, candidates can use several methods to showcase their skills effectively. Candidates should ensure their resume highlights relevant certifications and courses demonstrating their expertise in a particular field.
In the following part, the article will illustrate in which parts recruiters find this piece of information.
Hard Skills
Hard skills can be obtained by learning in schools, extra courses, or self-learning through books or online classes. Candidates who possess the technical skills required for the job are highly sought. They can highlight their hard skills through their educational background, certifications, and work experience.
Previous work experience is also an excellent way to showcase hard skills. Those factors regarding work experience, responsibilities, and accomplishments that align with the job requirements they are applying for can be added to the CV. This gives recruiters a clear idea of a candidate’s skills and experience in performing specific tasks.
For example, if applying for a job in software development, they can demonstrate their skills by showcasing their experience with programming languages such as Java, C++, or Python.
Soft Skills
Soft skills are crucial for employees regarding communication, problem-solving, leadership, and teamwork. These skills are critical in any workplace, enabling individuals to interact effectively with coworkers, clients, and customers.
For instance, a recruiter seeks a candidate with excellent communication skills for a job in customer service or a leadership role. Therefore, they can provide examples of how they have effectively communicated with team members, clients, or customers in previous work experience.
Besides communication, leadership is considered to be one of the critical skills that can be demonstrated through extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or community involvement. Candidates can showcase their leadership skills by highlighting their experience leading a team in a volunteer project or a community event.
How to Demonstrate Hard and Soft Skills
Through evaluations of two skill types, some people still wonder how they can effectively illustrate and present their skills. Below parts are the references that employees and candidates can input their practical experiences.
Education and Certifications
Recruiters can demonstrate candidates’ hard skills by highlighting their education and certifications relevant to the job. This shows they have acquired the necessary technical skills to perform the job.
Previous Employment
Previous work experience can also demonstrate hard skills. Job seekers can list their previous work experience, responsibilities, and accomplishments that align with the job requirements they are applying for.
Soft skills such as leadership and communication can be demonstrated through extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or community involvement. Job seekers can also provide examples of how they have effectively led a team or resolved conflicts in a previous work setting.
Professional Network
In addition to work experience, a professional network can also be beneficial in highlighting both hard and soft skills. Candidates can list references, mentors, and professional connections that vouch for their skills and expertise.
Although hard and soft skills are critical in the working environment, it is hard for a person to expertise the skills ideally. Thus, a liberal arts education is an ideal path for students to practice their skill sets and practical knowledge in the industries.
Liberal arts education tends to teach students how to think critically and effectively based on their skills and knowledge. Students would take background subjects in the based and practice their hard skills when studying the major’s subjects.
Conclusion
In conclusion, to succeed in the current job market, candidates need to demonstrate both hard and soft skills. Candidates can showcase their skills through education, previous employment, professional networks, and extracurricular activities. Preparing for interviews is also crucial to showcasing these skills.
By researching and preparing examples of how you have demonstrated your skills, candidates can stand out from the competition and increase their chances of being hired. Remember, the job market is highly competitive, but by demonstrating hard and soft skills, you can increase your chances of being the preferred candidate!
Université Libérale de Paris is proud to be the first liberal arts university for post-graduates. Our liberal arts education is designed with accredited programs through international recognition. Students can self-develop a variety of skills by the A.C.T principle from Paris U.
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