Do you know that universities and polytechnics across Nigeria admit close to  2 million students and produce over 600,000 graduates every year? While this is an impressive record, statistics from the World Bank show that over 15.3% of Nigerians with advanced education are unemployed.

Undoubtedly, the University coursework (or activities) will help you develop some necessary skills you need to navigate the labour market. However, you need more than a degree certificate to thrive and become employable in today’s highly competitive market.

This article presents 4 tips to make young graduates more employable and stand out from the crowd. It also serves as a guide for young professionals looking to land their dream jobs.

#1 : Brush Up Your Skills

It is good to have a degree, but it is even better if you have the skills required in the industry you intend to serve. For example, say you are a Mechanical Engineering graduate looking to work in the Machine Design and Manufacturing Industry. It would make sense to know at least something about computer-aided design (CAD), right?

Likewise, an accounting graduate should have analytical and problem-solving skills, time management and system analysis skills. Adding all these skills to your qualifications will make you more credible in the eyes of a potential employer.

#2: Build Your Network

Networking is among the best ways of becoming more employable. As a young graduate, you want to join forums and groups dedicated to the industry or profession you are interested in. Also, there are social media platforms you can leverage to build your network, but LinkedIn tops them allㅡthe platform has over 740 million users and over 55 million registered companies.

And to leverage LinkedIn, you want to optimise your LinkedIn profile, make connections, share ideas, opportunities, resources, and provide help to the best of your ability.

“Networks and networking will get you to the top faster,” says Dr Dipo Awojide in a recent tweet. You would be surprised by how valuable your networks can be in landing you that dream role.

#3: Keep Your CV Up-to-date

You need to craft a winning CV to showcase your skills and experiences to potential employers, as your CV is the document that describes you and what you can do. Hence, it is necessary that your CV gives a positive and memorable impression about you to the recruiter.

As a rule, you are required to update your CV regularly, research job requirements of target roles, and tailor your CV to the job description. You should also avoid spelling and grammatical errors in your CV.

#4 Seek Advice from Professionals

Another key way to become more employable is to seek advice (or mentorship) from professionals in your field. These professionals have been in your situation and have learned from the school of hard knocks. They can help you stay on track with industry trends and provide you with helpful resources to stay ahead of your peers.

At BTDT Hub, we have a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals to help you craft a winning CV, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile. We have reviewed over 20,000 CVs for young graduates and professionals across a broad range of industries.

Visit Personal Branding to learn more about our CV writing service. To get started, send an email to INFO@BTDTHUB.COM

Have you seen a recent job posting that you are interested in, or are you looking to land an open position in a company? If so, you are likely required to submit a CV along with your application.

Given that the hiring managers will receive hundreds of CVs for that same role, the best way to get noticed as a candidate is to tailor your CV to the job description.

This article presents helpful tips to tailor your CV to the job description. But before we delve right into it, you need to understand what tailoring a CV entails.

What is Tailoring a CV?

Tailoring your CV means writing your CV to align with the list of responsibilities, skills and qualifications needed for the job.

Look at it this way. When an employer posts a job opening, they usually specify a list of skills, qualifications, and responsibilities required from the candidates. A tailored CV simply proves that you satisfy all of these requirements and can do the job. It emphasises the employer’s need and demonstrates your alignment with the job.

However, keep in mind that you are not required to lie about your skills and responsibilities. Instead, you want to look at your relevant skill set (and responsibilities) and show the recruiters how you have previously used them to create optimal results at work.

Now let’s talk about some tips to help you tailor your CV to the job.

Tailor your CV to the Job Description with these 3 Tips

Tip #1: Read the Job Description

Nothing beats research when writing a CV for a particular job opening. You must understand what the employer wants and the skills required to perform the job, and the most effective  way to know this is to read the job description thoroughly.

When reviewing the job description, take note of specific requirements like years of experience, skills, education, training and responsibilities.

Once you have all of these requirements on paper, take a moment to compare them with your general CV. As a rule, take note of those requirements that you satisfy and place them at the top half of your CV, so they are instantly visible to the recruiters.

Tip #2: Include Measurable Outcomes of your Responsibilities

To effectively outline measurable outcomes in your CV, highlight your achievements over responsibilities. A good way to do this is by identifying the problem or situation that prompted the action; the duties required to resolve the problem or situation; and the impact achieved – with respect to improving efficiency, increasing sales, reducing costs, or all of the above. For example, instead of writing “responsible for increasing customer retention,” you can write this instead – “increased customer retention by 20% through efficient service delivery” This emphasizes key details and measurable outcomes, which instantly grabs the attention of hiring managers.

 

Tip #3: Write a Killer Summary

Because the summary section is located at the top of your CV, it is almost always the first thing that the hiring manager sees. If written well, it works like a sales pitch and grabs the hiring manager’s attention. As a rule, emphasize your skills and career progress in your summary. You should also include keyword skills and responsibilities in your summary to tailor it to the job description.

Do you want a tailored and achievement-based CV that can land you that dream role? Let us help you review your CV.

To get started, send a DM or an email to INFO@BTDTHUB.COM