PajMon Information Blog

Posts Tagged ‘job search’

The terms “resume” and “CV” are used in different ways all over the world.

In the US and in the English-speaking Canada, the term “resume” is usually used. “CV” is used in Europe, New Zealand, and French Canada. In some other countries, such as Australia or India, the terms are by and large interchangeable.

Whenever a distiction is made between the two, it can be described as follows:

A CV, or curriculum vitae is a longer (up to two or more pages), more detailed synopsis of your background and skills. A CV includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds, publications, teaching experience, research, presentations, grants and fellowships, awards, honors, affiliations and other information. Start by making a list of all your background information, then organize it into categories. As with a resume, you may need different versions of a CV for different types of positions.

When should you use a curriculum vitae, rather than a resume? In the US, a curriculum vitae is used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants.

When asking for a job in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, expect to submit a CV rather than a resume. Keep in mind that overseas employers often expect to read the type of personal information on a CV that would never be included on an American resume, such as date of birth, marital status, nationality and place of birth. United States law on what information job applicants can be asked to provide does not apply outside the country.

Whether your prospective employer asks for a resume or CV, you must first understand what information he or she is looking for in the document. Then you can work on creating a knock-out CV or resume and cover letter that will help you land your job.

KSA’s stand for Knowledge, Skills and abilities and are narrative essays that are requested, along government resumes, for Federal job applications. KSA’s are mandatory and essential being, in some cases, more determinant than a resume to land you a job.

A Knowledge is a factual or procedural data applied to the job. A Skill is a competence in managing data, things or people. An Ability is a competence in performing a mental or physical action.

KSA’s feature 3 to 5 questions, each question being answered with an essay written in a narrative style. The purpose of KSA answers is to demonstrate that you are a good candidate for the opening. You can use examples found in your past experience, education, trainings, awards and activities as long as they are relevant to the question and job.

KSA’s are graded from 1 to 10. Your total score must be above the job announcement’s minimum educational and experience requirements (selective factors) to be eligible for a Federal position. However, you can get a higher grade if you meet or exceed quality ranking factors, which will demonstrate that you are a great match for the job.

Regarding the format, each KSA essay should not be longer than one page and should list in order the job title, the announcement number, your name, the KSA number and then the essay that answers one KSA point.

Because KSA statements are so important, you should make sure to deliver the best answers possible. Before you start writing your KSA’s, it is a good idea to take some time to brainstorm to find elements from your experience and education that perfectly match what recruiters are looking for.

Also, when it comes to writing, be clear, concise, proactive and very detailed, to make it easy for the government recruiter to see you are a good fit for the position. Of course, avoid any typos and ensure the grammar is correct. Once you first draft is ready, wait 24 hours and review it. You can also ask a relative to have a look at it.

Writing KSA answers requires being a good writer. If you’re not sure you can prepare flawless KSA answers, don’t risk jeopardizing your career. It is recommended to get professional KSA writers to prepare your KSA’s, as not only they have years of experience writing top-scoring KSA answers but they are also aware of the latest Federal government hiring guidelines.

One of the biggest challenges that we faced when we decided to move was how I was going to find a new job.  You see, my wife was transferring within the company she worked for to Australia, but I didn’t have that option – I needed to figure out how I was going to find a job in Australia from half way around the world.

I quickly realized that trying to find any accounting jobs overseas would have been tough twenty years ago, before the Internet became popular.  Thankfully that is no longer the case, and the Internet can be used as an effective job search tool.

For me, the Internet proved to be a godsend, and I able to find a job easily.  I am just very thankful that such a great resource was available for me, and I recommend that all my friends do all their job searching online.