Category: Blog

Including interests on a resume is often a source of debate. At the risk of using very valuable space, it is also an opportunity to show the employer a little bit of your personality.

While it is true that some employers are not particularly interested in your hobbies outside of office hours, many think it gives them a glimpse of your personality.

It is up to you to decide whether or not to include your passions in your CV, but it is important to think about what they can suggest to the employer about you.

Reading

This passion being very common, you will have to support it by honestly detailing what you like to read; police investigations, history, trade magazines, etc. If you say you like reading science fiction and the employer shares this passion, then you could be exposed if they decide to discuss this point with you. Similarly, if you claim to like reading a business magazine and the employer asks you what you thought of this or that article.

Sport

In general, participation in a sporting activity is quite well regarded. Whether you are attending a gym, a tennis court or coaching your city’s basketball team, it shows that you are committed, loyal, determined and value team spirit. All these qualities are valued by employers.

Working for an association

This can mean running for a good cause, volunteering or raising funds for local associations. Depending on your role with them, this enhances your organizational, interpersonal, teamwork and/or management skills.

Traveling

This aspect is tendentious. Travelling may well be your passion, but you should not convey the idea that you want to take many holidays in the year to do a trek in Tibet. Listing all the countries you have visited so far won’t say much about your personality either. If you want to integrate travel into your interests, you will need to show your ability to appreciate diversity, foreign cultures and challenges.

A singular passion

Identifying an unusual interest can help you stand out from other candidates. Employers will be used to reading, travel, socialization and sports, but if you express your passion for creating artwork from recycled objects, for example, it can help you to make an impact on the employer’s spirit.

Expressing your interests must first and foremost bring out remarkable qualities or achievements. These interests can also be discussed during your job interview, so choose them well and make sure they are consistent with the job you are looking for.

Are you actively looking for a job? It may be particularly useful to register in a CV library to upload your resume. But for the process to be successful, it is important to know how to use this tool, which is available to all candidates on all job sites. To learn how to use the features of a CV library and increase your visibility with recruiters, follow these tips.

1. Targeting the right CV libraries

There are so many job sites on the web that it can be tempting to post your resume on as many platforms as possible. However, this process is not very relevant, especially since it wastes valuable time. It is recommended to look at the CV libraries most consulted by recruiters, i.e. those with a large number of CV / Resume. Register on two or three general job boards and one or two sites specialized in your sector of activity. That will be more than enough.

2. Propose a quality CV

A quality resume must be personalized and reflect your real professional skills. It is indeed on this point that the recruiter will focus all his attention. It is therefore essential to ensure that you fill in all the fields of the form carefully in order to optimize your visibility. Feel free to develop the skills that are most likely to interest companies, but also to indicate your availability, mobility, languages spoken and the software you master. Of course, take care of your written expression and avoid spelling mistakes or other clumsy turns of phrase. Indeed, before consulting your CV, recruiters first review these different criteria to ensure that your profile precisely meets their needs.

3. Choose the title of the CV correctly

This essential step makes it possible to improve the referencing of your curriculum vitae according to the keyword present in the title. This way, the title of your profile will automatically appear in the employers’ search results. It therefore seems clever to indicate a specific function, in order to immediately arouse the curiosity of recruiters and make them want to retain you.

4. Insert relevant keywords

CV libraries function as a search engine. Simply type in keywords to see the most relevant results at the top of the list. Mention the keywords that accurately define your position and experience, in order to qualify your CV and make it easy for recruiters to find you. To do this, use the most common business terms, name the software in their full title and highlight your area of expertise.

5. Choose the right format

To submit your CV, prefer downloading in PDF. These electronic formats ensure secure accounting and layout from any computer. Pay close attention to the weight of the document. A file that is too large will take too long to appear on the screen and will encourage the recruiter to switch to another, more accessible profile. The photos are to be banned. Also avoid writing your resume on a too recent version, as it is not certain that human resources will be equipped with it.

6. Write a simple and clear CV

In order to ensure that the search engine takes your CV into account, it is essential to keep it simple. Do not insert by table, images or flat color and prefer a classic font such as Arial, Calibri or Verdana. This will make reading easier and more enjoyable. Keep in mind that in this type of database, the curriculum vitae only needs to be optimized to be perfectly referenced.

7. Update your CV regularly

Updating your CV regularly is essential to stay at the top of the list of results. Indeed, after several months of inactivity, the CV database will eventually make it disappear under the other applications. In addition, this process is an opportunity to update your skills and experience. As soon as you have completed a new training course, internship or assignment, you must modify your curriculum vitae. The same applies if you have changed your e-mail address or telephone number. By intervening at least once a month or even once a week, recruiters will see that you are available and motivated to work.

When you apply for a job offer, your resume should reflect your professionalism. However, in an increasingly competitive environment, the level of education and experience does not always allow several candidates to be differentiated. In order to stand out and face young companies looking for specific profiles, giving personality to your CV becomes a necessity.

Extract skills from each experience

Any experience is good to take, and this is all the more true when you write your application. Do not neglect any experience, both professional and personal. You may have been the representative of your promotion during your school years, or responsible for communication for an association, which could be of interest to the employer.

Without going into detail, focus on any skills, even if you think there are gaps in your background; for example, being a stay-at-home mom for 3 years may have taught you organization, patience and the need to take charge of yourself in difficult times.

Have your personal experiences correlate with motivation, teamwork and organizational skills, see the responsibilities that are related to the position you are applying for.

Focus on areas of interest

As with your experiences, your interests can speak volumes about your personality. Even if you think that practicing yoga is not interesting, make this interest known by noting that you cultivate calm and well-being. If you paint, detail that you appreciate the concentration and detail. Finally, if you have an original interest, it will be noticed and show that you have personality.

Being positive

Being positive and presenting constructive qualities are important. Give a joyful and lively dynamic to your CV, so that the employer will want to meet you. While remaining professional, be warm and friendly. It is possible to note that you know how to work while bringing good mood to the team, that you want to, that you are capable and passionate.

In addition, qualities such as calm, kindness and respect are valued by employers who wish to work in peace and quiet.

Even if you need to introduce qualities such as organization, thoroughness and rigour, be careful not to abuse them by citing concrete examples and contextualizing them in situations in which they have been useful to you.

Create an eye-catching CV

Nowadays, it is very important to present a CV that stands out simply because of its appearance. Even this seems superficial, a CV must be attractive and seduce the employer at first sight. Ventilate and space, play with bold, italic characters, their size, but also by adding a little color will allow a much more fluid and pleasant reading.

The elements must be correctly listed, without any spelling errors. Expand your vocabulary and be precise but concise.

Finally, depending on the position and the company, connect your CV to your LinkedIn account or a QR code to add a touch of modernity and show that you master digital, essential in 2019.