Use Core Competencies to give your CV an ATS Edge

For those who have missed our previous posts on CV Tips, you can catch up on the importance of “Writing a Winning CV Headline” and “Complete CV Formatting”.

If you find your CV getting rejected too often, then here are some of the reasons why? Also, ensure that your CV engages the reader and is not too long.

A Standard CV Format:

Work Experience, Education, Training Programs and Seminars, Achievements, etc. One very useful subheading that helps you add keywords to your CV to show up in an ATS or Boolean search is "Career Synopsis" or "Areas of Expertise" or "Core Competencies".

This helps you not only add value to making your CV a sellable document but also allows it to be captured by the system during a resume search process.

So what does core competencies really mean? Is a career synopsis the same as a career objective? Well NO, it is not. Don’t waste time with career objectives unless you are fresh out of college or changing careers.

Career Synopsis highlights a summary of your experience, qualifications, training, and key skills to complete a 5 line description of the rest of your CV.

You can use

1. BULLET POINTS with one or two lines maximum,

2. A TABULATED representation or

3. INFOGRAPHICS or CHARTS

So let’s look at what a career synopsis can look like.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PROFILE SUMMARY

• Subject Matter Expert in Resource Management and Corporate Training with over 2 decades of rich and versatile experience.

• A proactive focal point of contact with a marked forte in fulfilling demand within projects.

• Excelled in conceptualizing and developing training & development initiatives for improved productivity, building capability, and quality enhancement.

• Strategy architect in the development of cutting-edge HR initiatives to streamline processes and capitalize on organizational growth opportunities.