CV vs Skills: Which Wins in an Interview?
We all know how recruitment works in the traditional sense: You apply for a job, send in your CV, if you grab the recruiters' attention you are called in for an interview and in this interview you're asked specific questions about your experience and prospective career, and then the ball's in the court of the recruitment team. In this scenario your CV plays a pivotal role, provides your interviewers with your first impression and not only sets the scene for your interview, but determines what light you will be seen under.
Choosing the words, highlighting your important experiences and abilities, promoting yourself just the right way to attract attention… Writing an impressive CV has been a struggle for candidates for decades. It's not just about the candidates either, the recruiters have similar problems. Sometimes the better-suited candidate has the worse-looking CV, and vice versa, which result in poorly made recruitment decisions.
But the world is changing. Everything related to our lives are becoming increasingly more digital. It's a world of online presence now, we get to learn new skills and showcase them to make ourselves more attractive, more prestigious in the eyes of our digital following. In addition to that, with our rapidly changing world, while experience and education retain their crucial importance to a certain degree, there is a need for new skills every day. Professionals need to be able to adapt to the ever-changing requirements of professional life, so recruiters are now looking for a certain ability to reinvent oneself in candidates. Being a multi-layered person of diverse skills and adaptability is now key to achieving goals.
When we add these factors together, what we get is the realization that CV's in the traditional sense are becoming somewhat obsolete.
Skills That Can Overshadow Your CV
- Adaptability: The ability to quickly learn and apply new skills in a changing environment.
- Problem-solving: The skill of our century, crucial in almost every profession.
- Communication skills: Both written and spoken, essential in our interconnected world.
- Passion for learning: The first step to adaptability and continuous growth.
- Cultural fit: The ability to work well with diverse teams in a globalized workplace.
- Social and soft skills: These help form networks that can be more valuable than a traditional CV.
- Personal projects and volunteering: Practical experiences that showcase initiative and skills in action.
We are in the age of digital visibility and adaptability. Improve your skills and showcase them, but take care not to become pretentious, and you will have a world of opportunity at your feet.
Remember, while these skills can overshadow a traditional CV, it's important to present them effectively. A well-crafted online presence and a portfolio that showcases your skills and work can be powerful tools in modern job hunting.
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