Writing your CV can either go easy, or it can be a bit of a hassle. It all depends on the approach that you decide to take. Your CV is a document that takes hours to draft but seconds to either impress or bore its readers. How well you present your qualifications, experience, and other qualities is what determines whether you’ll get the interview or not. CV writing is rather dynamic; its structure has changed over the years probably to accommodate the growing number of job seekers. This means that competition is stiff and you must do all it takes to nail it. There are different approaches that one can take in order to present their qualities without sounding like a show-off. In some cases, you even understate your qualities which naturally reduces the chances you have of getting the job.

Here are 6 approaches that can guide you write your personal qualities in your CV:

1. What Position Are You Applying For?

As you write your CV, one crucial aspect that needs to be looked at is the position that you’re applying for. Understanding this will determine whether your CV will be successful in getting you that interview or not. Writing your personal qualities appropriately will also be based on this understanding. Read the job description as thoroughly as you can and if necessary, take notes or highlight the main points. This will guide you on what qualities to include and in determining which ones you lack. Personal attributes required for different jobs and positions do vary slightly, although most jobs require similar individual qualities.

2. Keep It Precise

When you write a conclusion for any text, one critical aspect is the fact that it includes a summary that’s limited to not more than a paragraph or two, although its size is more dependent on the length of the text. The same aspect applies when you’re writing your personal qualities. This section must be kept brief, precise and straightforward. Remember that the CV itself shouldn’t go beyond 2 pages unless it’s very necessary because of your lengthy experience. This also helps you not to ‘overwrite’ in this section.

3. Tailor Your Personal Qualities to The Job Description

We all have a bunch of personal qualities that if we wanted, we could list them all on the CV. However, that shouldn’t always be the case. If one of your qualities is that you can sing as sweet as a bird, including it in your engineering job application would be irrelevant and a waste of precious space. That’s among the main reasons why you also need to understand the job description. The key is tailoring your qualities to complement the position that you’re applying for.

4. Merge Experience with Personal Qualities

Instead of writing your personal qualities independently from the experiences, you can consider merging the two. This a modern approach that can make your resume appear more appealing. For example, if you possess excellent communication skills, you can list an experience that you’ve had that highlights this quality. The person going through your resume doesn’t have to go through your experience then your qualities. It’s like killing two birds with one stone - an opportunity to wow readers by presenting all your talents and professional experience in one section, unified as a whole!

5. Presentation is Everything

Generally, your resume needs to be well presented; it needs to be appealing for it to get any consideration. Structure and font are some of the key things that need to be looked at. When writing your personal qualities, you’ll need to be clear and careful with the information that you present. Write your skills in a manner that will appeal to your reader. Don’t just scribble your qualities, ensure that they can be well read and understood.

6. Your Choice of Words is Crucial

Writing your CV in this day and age goes beyond just impressing your readers. Because of the increasing number of job applicants, human resource officers have resorted to using software to identify the few whose resumes are in line with their requirements. This means that the language which you use must have targeted keywords that fit with the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This is necessary especially if your CV is to go beyond the first stage of the job application process.

Conclusion

Caution needs to be exercised when writing your personal qualities. You need to keep it precise and appealing. The goal is not to be “too showy” or bore your readers. Importantly, these qualities need to compliment the job description while at the same time have the required keywords. This an opportunity to impress your readers other than with your professional experience. In fact, you can present the two in one section!

Writing your CV no longer needs to be a difficult task, it can be quite easy once you nail the basics and fully understand the position that you’re applying for and its requirements.