How to nail a job interview and stand out from other applicants. Ольга Анатольевна Смагина

the university's website to give the reader an idea of the level of prestige of the university or organization you attended. Here is an example of a typical layout for the Education section:

      Education: 2020–2023 University of Manchester,

      UK – Doctor of Philosophy in Information Engineering

      – Research in greening the Internet.

      Elective coursework included enhanced Internet architecture employing advanced communication service paradigms, protocols, and algorithms targeted at the optimization of energy consumption. Dissertation "A radical energy-aware application for wireless energy reduction" advised by Professor Giuseppe Verdi.

      2017–2020 University of Santiago, Chile – Bachelor of Science degree (5-year course) in Electrical Engineering – Engineering coursework included continuous and discrete systems and signal processing, analog and digital circuit design, and computational theory.

      Undergraduate thesis project "Wireless Enabled Context Awareness for the Future

      Internet."

      Note from the example above:

      – The information is in reverse chronological order.

      – The candidate has not mentioned her high school.

      – The candidate completed a 5-year course for her Bachelor's degree, which is longer than the standard 3-year course.

      – The candidate only mentioned her thesis title without providing further details because it is self-explanatory. If you finished your education after your first degree and are now looking for your first job, it is normal and acceptable to include your high school. However, if you subsequently completed a Master's or PhD, mentioning your high school may not be necessary.

      If the name of your high school is in your native language and does not provide useful information to the hiring manager, you can simply mention the specialization or write "generic studies" if there was no specialization. You can also include your final score or percentage if applicable. Additionally, you may include other relevant courses you attended that are pertinent to the job you are applying for and would benefit the position you are seeking. Provide details about the course, what it was focused on, and any notable achievements or skills gained during the course. In summary, the Education section should be organized in a reverse chronological order with necessary details about your education and highlighted coursework or additional courses relevant to the position you are applying for.

      How to make your work experience sound relevant

      If you finished your education several years ago, it is advisable to place this section before your Education section and provide more comprehensive details.

      When describing your work experience within a company, use the same format as in the Education section.

      Start by stating the company's name, location, and your position within the organization. Then, provide a detailed account of your responsibilities and accomplishments, highlighting how they align with the requirements of the job you are presently applying for. Just like the Education section, make sure to present everything in reverse chronological order.

      2020 – Present:

      Tshwane University of Technology (www.tut.ac.za), South Africa University Lecturer

      – Prepare and teach software engineering subjects, including Systems Analysis and Design, OO Analysis and Design using UML, SQL & PL/SQL, Data Engineering, OO Programming, Object-Oriented Software Engineering, and Project Management.

      – Design and develop distributed Systems for 2nd and 3rd year students, as well as Advanced PL/SQL for Final Year Computer Science and Software Development Students.

      2017–2020: Vodacom Congo SpRL, DRC Information Systems Specialist (Intern)

      – Wrote and debugged programs and complex SQL queries for customer consumption forecasting. As part of my role at Tshwane University of Technology,

      I have developed a Java stream processing application running on the S5 platform for detecting algorithmically generated domain names in DNS queries.

      I have also standardized procedures regarding 'Scalable and Elastic Event Processing' (SEEP) and secured applications by enforcing Information Flow Control policies within middleware.

      The majority of companies and recruiters are known to use applicant-tracking systems so as to scan CVs for particular key words that can be seen in the job description.

      Thus, if you plan to apply for an advertised job, you should analyze the job description and detect these key words in order to insert them naturally into your CV.

      Remember: the more matches the system finds between the job description and your CV, the more likely your CV will be considered by a real recruiter.

      Let’s imagine that you want to build up your career in the field of web management. Here is a good example of how to achieve it with the help of obvious key words.

      It’s worth mentioning that if you write some of them with initial capital letters (e.g. Web Producer), it will make your keywords stand out to the human recruiter (but obviously makes no difference if your CV is scanned automatically). Quite the reverse, if you manage to include one of the key words-web several times in your CV (in such combinations as website,Web Producer, Web Developer, web content, web services, etc.), a recruiter’s software will be able to find them increasing the chances of having your CV selected

      Summary: Work Experience

      We recommend:

      separating each experience so that it will look the following:

      1) date

      2) company/organization

      3) position

      4) key roles played (plus a web link to the company, so that an HR manager can find out more about your working places

      – putting dates in a reverse chronological order.

      – using verbs without pronouns at beginning of sentences (e.g. Improved rather than I improved).

      – Inserting as many key words as possible.

      – Avoiding using personal pronouns

      – Making your experience look both relevant and dynamic.

      How to present your skills correctly

      SKILLS TECHNICAL SKILLS When writing your resume, it is important to include technical skills that meet the job requirements or that you believe would be beneficial for the position you are applying for.

      LANGUAGE SKILLS When you describe language skills, you can use the following terms:

      – Mother tongue

      – Fluent (spoken and written)

      – Good working knowledge (indicating that you have enough proficiency to carry out your work)

      – Scholastic (only mention if the job specifications specifically mention these languages and you believe it would increase your chances of getting the job).

      To demonstrate your language skills, you can list the English examinations you have taken, such as the TOEFL exam, IELTS and other international exams

      How to attract an interview’s attention by personal interests

      Personal interests are crucial as they provide insights into your personality and character that may not be evident in the rest of your CV. They are unique and can give HR professionals a better understanding of who you are as a person. When mentioning your personal interests, it is important to consider the following:

      1. Showcasing your social conscience: Include any voluntary or charity work you have done, as it demonstrates your commitment to helping others.

      2. Highlighting leadership skills: