Is my dry CV the cause of my non-invitation for jobs?
Hi Jarus. I really love what you and the eggheads are doing here. I think my main issues have already been trashed out as I also have a 2-2 in Economics from UNILAG and I’m looking to break into the Investment Banking sector. This interest was sparked by a recruitment process I was involved in with one of them. I made to the last stage but was not selected for the position. With the case study I read here however, I think I now have my priorities straightened out-ACCA and CIS.
Just a question, is it right and or advisable to put these in under the professional qualification section of my CV [eg ACCA (in view)] when I’ve neither begun the first stage of the said examination nor registered under the student body? My CV is really dry as I’m 21 and just completed my NYSC March this year. Currently work as a BDE in a real estate agency by the way. Took the job to have some job history on my CV and stop the depression that comes with sitting at home. After all, half bread is better than chin-chin. Knew I wasn’t really getting any good calls mostly because of my lack of job history especially so young. I am ready now more than ever to kick start my career in IB…..
Please, your thoughts… Thank you.
Dolapo
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Dear Dolapo,
First, I don’t think your not getting good calls has much to do with your lack of experience, but from your 2-2. You just completed your NYSC and you’re a fresh graduate, no reasonable employer will expect you to have quality work experience. Obviously, you can only apply for entry level positions. In fact, in many organizations, they disregard your work experiences less than 3 years and take you as entry level. I have an engineer friend whose 4 years experience in Oando was disregarded and given entry level job in Schlumberger. I have friends that moved from PwC, IBTC etc to Shell, and they were given entry level positions, and they competed with fresh graduates that had zero experience. Some of the fresh grads also made the final cut and got the job.
So I don’t think work experience matters much in entry level recruitment which is what you qualify for now as a 21 year old recent graduate . Rather, your academic and professional qualifications are the critical factors at this point (which can only get you invite for test, and your personal ability takes it from there).
At 21, and as a fresh grad, what enriches your CV is hardly your work experience, but your academic and professional qualifications. I have friends that got job in top companies(Oando, Shell etc) with only Bsc (second class upper) and nothing more (no prior experience).
As for putting ACCA/CIS on your CV when you’ve not registered, nah. As soon as you register, you are free to put it on your CV as a student member, but before registration, no, no.
Thankfully, you have somewhere you’re ‘managing’ for now. Keep it, start professional exams, while you keep your eyes alert on opportunities in better places…….and stay close to Jarushub to learn more.
All the best.
Jarus
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Nice 1 mr. Suraj.. My situation is almost similar to the case treated above, Just that I haven’t started my nysc. I av registered for acca tho and have included that in my cv..