Don’t let your CV let you down!

Having been in the recruitment industry for around 15 years I am very surprised that the quality of CV’s has not improved over time. With plenty of free online advice as to the do’s and dont’s, one would think that the most obvious errors would be removed.

The quality issue is not restricted to any particular level. I come across senior executives who are running significant departments / companies and their CV, far from does them justice. Many feel they do not have the time, or see the need, to work on polishing it up to help deliver their next career move. I believe this can be a real issue.

As a recruiter, time is off the essence. CV’s gets reviewed for seconds not minutes. Even if the candidate looks great there may be time pressure to get candidates across to the client, so waiting a few days or weeks may not be an option.  I have listed below a few of the top areas to consider before distributing your CV:

• Quality not quantity – Keep it to 2 or 3 pages at a maximum. Nobody cares too much about what you did 20 years ago, so summarise to one line if possible.
• Spend time on your profile – If it is too long most people just  won’t read it.  Make sure you include what you are (e.g. Project Manager with international experience within the Telecoms industry), what you are good at (your key strengths and experience) and what you are looking for.  This can help recruiters frame your potential match.
• Company activities – If you have worked for large global companies they probably do not take much introducing to most people. If not, it is good to include a line to say what they do. Don’t assume just because you know what your company does, that everyone else will.
• Purpose of the role – It is good to start off with a line as to the key purpose of the role. Many people launch into the duties without being clear as to why the company employed you in the first place.
• Use bullet points – it can be useful to bullet the key responsibilities and achievements as it makes it easier to read quickly.
• Use spell check – I am taken aback by the number of people who do not turn on spell check.  Recruiters or potential employees may quickly jump to the conclusion that you lack attention to detail or do not have a strong enough command of English so you may be rejected at the screening stage.

I hope these pointers are useful!

Careerz Limited, based in Canterbury, offer specialist recruitment services across Kent, London and the South East.

For further information, please call John Adams on 01227 656 888 or or 0208 0990 888 or visit www.careerz.co.uk