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Why ten seconds? This is because the average recruiter will review CVs/resumes in about ten seconds or less. So, back to the original question – how can you make a strong impression in about ten seconds or less? In ten seconds, the recruiter will be able to tell if you are a candidate worth pursuing or not.

You should pay attention to the following guidelines as they will help you realize if you have been making errors in your past applications;

Your resume should be two pages, maximum – A resume is a document that directly correlates with the advertised role in question. While your CV lists everything you have ever done, your resume only contains relevant information on why you are a great fit for the role you are applying for. If for instance, you have work experiences are in Software Development and Marketing and the role you are applying for is in Marketing, your resume should not state anything about your work in Software Development. It should only highlight your work in Marketing.

For an Online Application, Upload Resume in MS-Word – Job candidates all over the world attest to the fact that uploading resumes in PDF format is better to maintain appearance of the document. However, considering the fact that a lot of companies/organizations make use of the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), resumes in Microsoft Word format, are easily readable by ATS. Resumes in PDF format cannot be read by ATS, so, to be safe, use MS Word. Just make sure, you make use of fonts like Times New Roman, Cambria, Calibri and Arial.

Begin Your Resume with Vital Information – State your Academic Grade, Level, and Skills at the very beginning of the document. This is very important as you will need to capture the recruiter’s attention and keep it. If you may, include all these important details in the summary of your resume. This will depend on the format you want to use for your resume appearance. Make sure that whoever reads the resume, whether human (recruiter) or ATS, sees you as a great fit for the role.

Keep it clean and simple – Do not attempt to go crazy using all kinds of colors, fonts and designs on your resume. Do not use photos, except you are applying for a role in modelling. Stick to a simple outlook. Line up all your texts and borders, give each section a heading – summary, core competencies, career history, education. Leave enough space between sections and do not use too many words – go straight to the point.

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/ten-seconds-impress-a-recruiter-with-your-resume/

Lingo Africa.

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There will come a time when the world will be more accepting of hiring people, who are considered too old, into various positions and not just be fixated on the ‘younger crowd’. Before then, what happens to those people who are actually skilled at their jobs but cannot land a proper job in great companies and organizations as a result of their ages?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), age is not a reliable indicator when judging a worker’s potential productivity or employability.

Lingo Africa, the foremost human capital development platform in Nigeria, has always been a great advocate for getting jobs to people of all ages, across the world.

We have in the past, advised some of our clients who have faced discrimination in the workplace just because they were said to be too old. One of them is a 56-year-old woman who has all the recent certifications for her area of expertise, but was unable to get a job after she resigned from her last job.

She had applied to so many available jobs and she would always exempt her age from her resume. So, the rejection usually came during the interview process.

At a point, she got tired of the usual phrase “we are sorry to say that you are not a great fit for this role, as we seek someone more energetic”!

She told one of our counselors that she really wanted to keep working until she turned 65, but was unable to find an employer that was willing to take her on. So, our counselor talked to her about her skills and the general sentiment surrounding older job candidates.

Our counselor advised her to seek consulting roles as she was considered too old for regular jobs. This was a great idea, as she had spent about 20 years performing tasks and achieving a lot in her area of expertise.

Six months down the line, she was able to land a consulting contract with a company that was in need of her expertise. Through her consulting contract, she got another offer from a foreign company that wanted her to work as an advisor for one of their brands. This way, she found her professional value once again.

It is a brutal truth that companies and organizations find it hard to hire candidates who are considered too old, but, there are other ways to navigate this challenge. We would never advise anyone to just give up and surrender to the challenges they face today.

There is always a way out. If you find yourself getting older and wanting to get a new job or transition to another industry, you can do it. You just need to look for ways to make it work.

Everyone is valuable. You are valuable.

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/considered-too-old-for-a-job-how-about-trying-out-other-alternatives/

Lingo Africa.

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