How to Write a Compelling CV for Internships and Learnerships
CV and Cover Letters WritingIn order to apply for an internship or learnership, you’ll first need to create an application package. The most important part of your application package is your CV or resume, which will be reviewed by the employer and taken into consideration when selecting who to interview and hire. In order to ensure that your CV does its job and gets you the interview, keep these tips in mind when writing it up.
Introduction
A lot of people might not understand how important a CV is. A Curriculum Vitae or curriculum vitae, meaning course of life in Latin, is the document that lists your qualifications, work experience, skills, publications and relevant information about you. The document summarizes what you have done during your life. Whether you are looking for an internship or learnership, it is important to put all the information that needs to be put in this document.
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Create an Impactful Objective Statement
Employers are looking for skilled candidates that can provide high-quality work. Therefore, having an outstanding Objective Statement will distinguish you from other applicants. In order to have a strong Objective Statement, make sure you focus on your skills, experience, and qualifications.
Personalize the CV by Adding Your Personality
Start off with your name, telephone number, mailing address, email address, and the best time of day to contact you. Now that you've got that out of the way, let's get down to business!
Why do you want an internship or learnership? What are your relevant skills? Be specific! What have you achieved in these areas? Give as many details as possible. You can also highlight any particular achievements in your field by mentioning specific companies where you have interned or completed projects.
Use Keywords That Employers Look For
Companies are inundated with applications each day. The applicant pool is vast, and you need to do your best from the beginning to catch the employer's eye. Most recruiters will only spend 3-4 seconds looking at your CV, so it is important that you give them all the information they need in this short amount of time.
Make sure that you include keywords related to the position and industry in which you're applying. For example, if you're applying for an internship as a salesperson, include words like clientele or sales targets. And if you're applying for an internship as an HR intern, include words like staffing, hiring, or performance management.
By including these keywords on your resume, employers will be able to easily find candidates who fit their needs faster than ever before.
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Add Value With Skills & Abilities Section
It's always best to include relevant skills and abilities on your CV. Just be sure they are applicable to the internship or learnership you're applying for. You don't want to state you have Photoshop skills when you're applying as an English literature intern, but the reverse is perfectly okay. It can also be helpful to list soft skills like problem-solving, excellent time management, good communication, etc.
Formatting – Fonts, Colors, Margins, Alignment etc.
Your CV will be your introduction letter to an employer, so you need to make sure it stands out from the rest. Here are some tips on how to create an eye-catching CV:
1. Make sure that your header and margins align with the formatting of this document.
2. Ensure there is enough white space on the page by adjusting margins or fonts.
3. Be creative by including symbols such as dots and bullet points.
Proofread – Typos Are Not Acceptable For This Resume Format
One thing that you need to do with this resume format is proofread it. Typos are not acceptable, as the recruiter will assume that the lack of care in one sentence extends to the rest of your work. Make sure that your grammar is good, as well.
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