The Perfect CV – But who for? The Hiring Manager or the Candidate?
The answer to that eternal question is, of course, entirely a matter of opinion and about 100 other variables! Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer or one that is sufficient to fully address such a vital part of a job application and the recruitment process.
So how does a candidate know if the document they are submitting to a perspective new employer is going to be well received and will support their application effectively?
And how does a Hiring Manager, Headhunter, Recruiter or #HR Executive make a potentially life changing decision on somebody’s career based merely on a document submitted together with dozens or hundreds of others?
(This is one of my longer articles [although still less than 5 minutes to read], but if you work in HR or are a job seeker interested in the subject matter and serious about increasing your chances of being shortlisted for a new role, it might be worth taking the time to read it…)
Before examining these two points and trying to formulate a helpful response, the first thing to consider is the nature of the role (the job vacancy itself). The levels of responsibility, experience and qualification that the employing company are seeking is the first indicator. A position with little or no direct responsibility, for example, tends to apply to a candidate with a younger career development record – a graduate perhaps, or a school leaver. A role with, say, team leadership responsibility will most likely appeal to a candidate ready for the next step in their career and their gradual journey into management. And a job that requires a high or higher level of responsibility will be aimed at somebody with a measurable career path which includes clear experience that equips him or her with the background necessary to deal with that responsibility.
In these three basic examples, it is easy enough to understand that dependent on the length of one’s career, a #CV will be either brief (in the event that the candidate is young and with limited experience) or more expansive (in the case of a career professional with 20 years of work history). In other words, the more you work, the longer you live and the more positions you occupy, the longer your CV will be. Common sense, right?
Well, not if you are influenced by the seemingly endless supply of advice, instruction and mentoring (usually for a fee!) that exists online and the numerous offers of tutorials, packages, CV reviewers and professional CV-writing services. And not if you believe the common mantra offered up by the majority of “recruitment agents” who claim that they only have “two minutes to read a CV”. Nonsense! (although to be fair, some recruiters are more generous and proclaim that they have three minutes!).
Why do I say it’s “nonsense”? Because the role of a recruiter (whether an agency or professional executive search consultant, whether working on a contingency “no-win-no-fee” basis or for a professional fee) or a #HiringManager charged with conducting a professional recruitment campaign or an HR Executive with powers to make strategic decisions on their company’s behalf, all share one thing in common: A Duty of Care:
A Duty of Care to make the best possible decision, to represent the employing company in a professional and efficient manner, and to be impartial, considerate and attentive to each and every candidate. Being involved with somebody’s career and given the task of filling a role that is imperative to a company’s success, growth and market positioning are serious responsibilities that have major impacts on both a company’s performance and the life of a candidate (a human!). Rather than an arduous task, it is an honour.
Consequently, it is incumbent upon a Headhunter, Recruiter, Hiring Manager or HR Executive to treat each CV with respect, compassion and appreciation for the time and effort a candidate might (or indeed, might not) have invested into creating it. In my opinion, developed over more than three decades of dealing with companies and candidates, there is no excuse whatsoever for not reading a CV – regardless of the time it takes to do so. It is a part of my job! It is an essential element of the recruitment process. It is an invaluable first step in understanding a candidate’s background and experience, their attention to detail, their grammar and punctuation, their clarity and presentation abilities, their motivations, and some of their personal characteristics.
Anyone working on an assignment to fill a vacancy has a duty as much to a candidate as to the role they are applying for. Granted, the vast, overwhelming majority of applications for a role are from people who lack the appropriate skills to even be considered for the position. It is a constant annoyance to receive so many CVs from candidates who, despite the most precise of Job Descriptions and instructions NOT to apply unless certain criteria are clearly met, possess little or, often, none of the attributes stated in the Job Description. But this is the nature of the recruitment process and it’s part of that process to filter the good from the bad, the possible from the impossible.
In summation of this aspect, the onus is equally on the candidate to be attentive in their application and on the recruiter, HR Executive or #HeadHunter to be respectful. Writing a CV takes time and thought (if it’s done properly – see below) and whoever receives that CV has a duty to take the time needed to study it.
But what actually is the purpose of a CV? In essence, whilst being important, it is merely a first step. An opener. You might want to consider it as a “shop window”. It offers a glimpse of the goods inside. It invites you to “open the door” and take a closer look at those goods. And so, if that shop window is badly decorated, poorly lit and uninteresting, the “shopper” (the recruiter, for example) is going pass on and move to the next window display.
Although the reader has a duty to study a CV, there are clear exceptions to this standard rule: If a CV on first glance is a mess, the typeface and layout badly spaced, or the document full of unnecessary page breaks, random capital letters and glaring grammatical errors that could easily have been corrected with a simple “spell checker”, then it will most certainly be disregarded and, quite likely, just deleted. Most jobs that are advertised on one medium or another will receive 100’s of CVs (on average, the roles I work on attract between 400 and 750 applications and EACH one needs to be processed, reviewed and replied to. Yes, replied to. Far too many recruitment agencies [and even HR Executives, unfortunately] lack the common good manners to acknowledge and thank applicants for their time and interest. They will tell you it’s because they are too busy. The truth is they don’t practice good time management and ultimately are only interested in cutting corners or generating commission instead of providing a professional all-round service which treats candidates with the levels of respect and curtesy they deserve), and although the majority will be immediately rejected, it still takes considerable time and resources to process that quantity of applications.
On the assumption that most people who apply for a job do so because they are serious about a career move and are committed to the process of finding a new role, there are a few key things to remember when creating a CV and increasing the chances of securing an interview. I list them below, but also note here that ultimately it is the content that matters most. If a CV looks professional, reads well and clearly shows that the author has invested serious time and effort into writing it, then the design, format or “template” is for the most part completely irrelevant.
1. The very best CVs are simple Word documents (which can be saved as a PDF if necessary). Although a Google search will present you with 1000’s of templates and mind-boggling options for layouts and designs, at the end of the day if you want to create a CV with which you are happy and satisfied, do it yourself! The problem with templates and other downloadable variants is their potential incompatibility with whatever software the recipient uses; they can become altered in transit (from one email address to another or via a web portal) and are subject to conflict with systems that process documents which can make them unreadable or appear in a quite different way to the original. A Word document allows you to be creative whilst also offering a global format that will work virtually everywhere and on virtually all systems and servers.
2. In two lines below the standard document header (i.e. Curriculum Vitae), state you name, your city and country of residence (plus your current location if different), your email address and your contact telephone number/s. There is no need for your nationality, age, passport details, house number, your gender or your photograph. If the reader of your CV progresses you to the next stage for consideration and if they need to know more personal details, they will eventually ask. Regulations and Best-Practice Guidelines equitably imply that a Job Description, unless the nature of the role demands otherwise, be open to all applicants regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, disability, religion, nationality or any minority or other protected characteristic. You are therefore not obliged to include personal information beyond your name, location and contact details.
3. Artwork? – No! Unless the role you are applying for requires a display of your artistic talents (i.e. a graphic designer or art director, etc), don’t use artwork! Colours, images, shapes and pictures can be a nightmare on several levels. Many will be corrupted in transit and arrive as a page of overlapping boxes, squares, squiggles and smudges. Even if they arrive in the style you have created, the overall appearance can be a distraction and deflect AWAY from the essential content rather than focusing the reader on the salient aspects. It is far more important that a CV looks smart and is instantly readable. Including artwork and graphics is an unnecessary addition. Colours are rarely an attraction. Furthermore, in the event that a CV needs to be printed (and they often do need to be printed even in this age of technical revolution), it is a frustration when all the coloured ink runs out or the printer is unable to interpret the template and instead produces a page of ancient Greek hieroglyphics!
4. Chronology – Never work backwards: Always start with the current or most recent position first. The reader wants to see what you are doing now and what you’ve done for the last few years. If a candidate is shortlisted to the next stage, then earlier roles and responsibilities might need to be considered, but in the first stage it is the here & now and immediate past that counts.
5. Detail – A CV should list the positions you occupy and have previously occupied, the company who employed you, the month & year that you started and finished, and the city & country where you were based. This information can all be accomplished on one line and be typed in bold for emphasis. Beneath it you should provide either one brief paragraph or a 1 or 2 line introduction followed by as few bullet points as possible: The core function/s; the key responsibilities; and, strictly where appropriate to the role you are applying for, management/financial/operational duties such as the size of the budget you handled, or the amount of personnel you managed, or privileged access to specific aspects of the employer’s business, etc. Try to be concise. Don’t use abbreviations. And don’t worry: At this stage you only need to be providing an overview; a “shop window”; an immediate indication to the reader that you might have some of the qualities they are seeking; a reason to read more and progress you to the next level of selection. It is acceptable for your current or most recent role to include a little more detail, but your previous roles should be kept to just a few lines each.
6. When you have listed your last 10 or 12 years’ of positions, you can create a new heading: Your Qualifications and, if directly applicable to the position, list them and any other relevant awards or career related certifications.
7. Under this, create another new heading: Achievements. This is optional and should only be included if you are able to demonstrate specific data pertinent to the role you are applying for. Optional also is a Cover Letter – As opposed to a long and detailed overview of your career, motivations, experiences and reason for applying, I recommend including just a brief note as a separate attachment or as text in the email that accompanies your CV. Sometimes, more is less, because in reality a Cover Letter is rarely read and serves little purpose unless one is specifically requested in the Job Description or advertisement to supply one. (If selected for the next stage of the process you will have ample opportunity to expand on your abilities and objectives when asked to do so).
8. Finally, add a heading entitled “Other Information”. Here you can state specifics that relate directly to the details of the role you are applying for or add any supporting information that you think should be considered in support of your candidacy. Does the Job Description ask that you be able to drive, for example? If so, use this section to confirm that you have a valid driver’s licence and, if appropriate, that you possess your own vehicle. Perhaps the Job Description requests that candidates have a valid passport (if the position requires travel, for example) or suggests that the role is more suitable to a single person, or somebody with specific experience in a particular discipline uncommon to the normal functions expected of the role.
READ THE JOB DESCRIPTION – understand what the employer is looking for and carefully (and honestly) consider your current and prior experiences. How does your skillset match with what the employer is seeking? Extract from your career history those things that best reflect your ability to satisfy the demands of the position. And if you cannot meet at least 80% of what they are looking for – don’t apply for that job! Simple. Move on to the next job advertisement and concentrate on that instead. Don’t waste your time (or the person managing the vacancy) by creating a CV that will be eliminated from consideration without even being read.
9. On that last point – this is IMPORTANT: Headhunters, Recruiters, HR Executives and Hiring Managers receive 100’s of applications. They can therefore afford to be selective and dismissive, and they WILL be. They will NOT consider an applicant that doesn’t possess the requirements of the role. No matter how good you are at what you do, how impressive your career record or how enthusiastic for the position, if your CV does not match the requirements specified in the Job Description, it is extremely unlikely to get past the first elimination stage. THIS is the overriding point of a CV: To immediately demonstrate that you are worthy of consideration. That is all. Nothing more. Your CV needs only state that you have the appropriate and necessary experience, qualification and aptitude to potentially fulfil the role. Your CV is the FIRST step in the selection process only – it is NOT something upon which the employer will base their decision and make an offer of employment. It is solely to get you through to the next stage. It is at the next stage that an employer will seek more clarification, or issue a Questionnaire or formal application form requesting precise answers and more detail on your background, skills and experience, or conduct a psychometric test etc. Ultimately, you will have the opportunity to express everything necessary and offer extensive detail when invited for interview. But you need to secure that interview first – and your CV is just the first step on that path.
10. References – There is no need to include these on a CV. They are irrelevant at this point. If you proceed through the recruitment process, references will be separately requested at the appropriate time and be submitted accordingly.
11. THE MOST VITAL TIP – Tailor your CV! The worst thing that so many job seekers do all the time and which seriously jeopardises their chances, is applying for multiple jobs and, especially on Job Boards and LinkedIn etc, use the “Apply Now” or “Instant Apply” buttons to just blindly distribute their CV to countless jobs, often without even bothering to read the Job Description! Doing so does NOT automatically get your CV onto a recruiter’s or employer’s database; it does NOT make the recruiter think you are keen; it does NOT increase your chances of eventually being put forward for a position. It DOES, however, result in your CV being instantly deleted without even being looked at if it does not (as explained above) match the essential criteria of the role; it DOES alert the recruiter that you are not serious. And it DOES reduce your chances of being selected. Be smart instead: Only apply to a role for which you have the skills and experience as defined and stated in the Job Description.
READ THE JOB DESCRIPTION. If you can’t satisfy the requirements, simply keep looking until you find a position for which you DO have the appropriate qualities. And, when you find a vacancy that you can truly stand a chance of being considered for, make the application PROPERLY. To make a PROPER application, you need to spend a bit of time and make a bit of effort. Using the guidelines I suggest above, you will create a template for your CV: The basics, the skeleton upon which you now need to shape and model your application TAILORED to its criteria. Every time, for each job you apply for, you need to adapt your CV according to the skills being sought. You need to extract from the Job Description those aspects of your career and abilities that match it. And visa versa. Your CV needs to clearly show that you can provide what the employer is looking for. Precisely. The Job Description clearly sets out what they need – so, you need to be reactive to that and ensure your CV accurately (but also truthfully) reflects the experience you possess, and which relates to the stated requirements of the role.
Don’t waste your time (which is valuable) and the recruiter or Hiring Manager’s time (which is also valuable) applying for jobs you are not qualified for. There are more job seekers than there are jobs available for them (sadly). Conversely, there are also more jobs available than there are qualified candidates to fill them. The market globally is unbalanced in that regard, and it is a frustration to both employers and job seekers that although jobs do exist, there is a lack of suitably qualified candidates and likewise too many highly skilled and competent job seekers but a sizeable lack of roles suitable for them to apply for. As a result, employers, recruiters, headhunters and hiring managers are very tough in their selection processes, and candidates are increasingly aware of the difficult challenge they face. Creating a concise, precise and attractive CV that is tailored to the position is your best starting point if you hope to get to the next stage. For the employer/recruiter, receiving a CV that has obviously had time and thought invested into its creation and which is clearly pertinent to the vacancy is their best starting point for selecting your CV from 100’s of other perhaps inferior CVs.
This article started with the title: “The Perfect CV – But who for? The Hiring Manager or the Candidate?” Well, ultimately the perfect CV is a simple, easy-to-read, grammatically accurate and smart document that is no longer than it needs to be, but which provides the information necessary to progress a candidate’s application to the next stage of shortlisting. And who is it most important for? The Hiring Manager or the Candidate?
ANSWER: It is ESSENTIAL to them BOTH!
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