It takes time to craft the perfect CV that will land you job interviews and maximise your opportunities as a current or prospective professional in a science field like biotechnology, FMCG or pharmacology.
Although some candidates may be able to cope with a one-size-fits-all resume, tailoring your CV to individual job specifications is often vital to increasing your chances of securing a job interview and in turn, landing an all-important job offer.
Get the basics right
Before you can begin to tailor your CV to a specific job role or company, it is important to start with a strong, well-written generic CV. Collate your accomplishments, experiences, qualifications and any additional information that you consider appropriate – the importance of extracurricular activities, for instance, should not be ignored – to give employers a chance to understand who you are.
Find the job you wish to apply for
The first step to tailor your CV is finding a science job for which you would like to apply. Conducting analysis of the qualifications and experience that top employers seek will help to give you an understanding of how to structure your CV – for example, placing a degree above job-specific training may be advantageous when applying for a particular role.
Remember that here at Hyper Recruitment Solutions, we advertise many great science jobs on our website, so whether you are on the lookout for your next big opportunity in regulatory affairs, quality assurance or bioinformatics, we are a great place to begin your job hunt.
Edit according to the job description
Reviewing job descriptions and editing your CV accordingly is the best way to begin the tailoring process. Arrange your CV so that your stated qualifications and accomplishments nicely match the requirements of the given role for which you would like to apply, and describe your work experience in the context of the job description. Recent graduates, for example, may want to gear the content of their CV towards their education, while those with experience in a junior science role may want to describe the valuable skills they acquired from it.
Mirror the recruiter's language
Closely mirroring the specific 'buzzwords' that appear in a job specification will allow you to further tailor your CV and show the given science recruitment agency or employer that you understand their position and its requirements in full. Spending some time on the prospective employer's website and mimicking their language and style in your CV also allows you to research the culture and values of the organisation so that you are prepared in the event of being offered an interview.
Network for insider information
Use your professional network to find specific leads and contacts that you can use to your advantage. Ideally, get into an informal discussion with an employee from your targeted organisation for insights and insider information that you can use to sharpen your CV to the role.
Final thought
Although tailoring your CV for every job for which you apply can be time-consuming, it's true that hard work pays off. You should always try to avoid sending a generic, untailored CV to a prospective employer. Not only does a generic CV tend to communicate a lack of care and attention, but it can also waste both your own time and that of a prospective employer, increasing the likelihood of your application being cast away to the bottom of the pile.
Knowing how to tailor your CV to the science jobs for which you yearn is vital if you are to secure those all-important interviews.
