CVs only get a 6 second look on average; here’s what you can do to help yours
By Fay Capstick
A report recently found that CVs only get a 6 second look on average from recruiters. This isn’t good for candidates. This is not surprising considering that in the UK most job vacancies receive over 250 applicants.
At Parker Shaw we are different. We pride ourselves on our focus on offering the best service to our clients and candidates, and this means that your CV will get the attention it deserves.
This week we will be looking at what you can do to make sure your CV does everything it can to get a recruiter’s attention and keep it, but making the best impact possible.
Spelling
A CV that is loaded with errors doesn’t make a good impression. Read yours and then read it again. If you can, ask a couple of people to check if for errors for you.
Watch out for spell check automatically correcting any technical or brand names into nonsense! Just because nothing is underlined in red definitely does not mean that there aren’t any errors.
Spelling errors will make your CV look like it has been rushed and it will also give an unprofessional impression to recruiters and clients.
Layout
If you aren’t sure what layout your CV should have there are plenty of guides and templates online to help you. Following a standard layout will help a tech recruiter to locate the information that they need quickly and easily. A CV for a technical job isn’t the place to be showing off your creativity or reinventing traditional CV formatting.
Your email address
Remember the advert on the TV about this? Don’t use your email address if it is inappropriate in some way. Keep it professional, your first and last name work best. If your email address isn’t like this then create a new one for job hunting, and remember to check it regularly. Time is of the essence when applying for jobs and if a recruiter contacts you and you leave it too long to get back to them, then the job might have already been filled.
Be brief
A good CV shouldn’t be more than 2-3 pages. Keep it brief, clear, and concise. And no need to go into too much information about your hobbies. A few words is enough to convince a recruiter that you are a well rounded person with interests and hobbies.
Customise it
Customise your CV for the job you are going for. If it’s a tech job focus on your technical skill set. If it’s a retail job focus on your customer service skills.
Inconsistencies
Make sure that everything tallies on your CV; dates, locations, institutions, etc. If there are any gaps in your employment history don’t try and fudge them. Be upfront and honest about any gaps. Any particularly long gaps should be noted.
Cover letter
If you can, always include a cover letter with your application. Apply quickly to your desired jobs, but do take the time to write a cover letter. This is your opportunity to show some personality and professionalism, and also to demonstrate why you are the best candidate for the job.
Keywords
Recruiters will probably use software to search for keywords in your CV as part of the initial selection process, so make sure that they have been used (repeatedly). Make sure that there are keywords relating to the specific position you are applying for.
Final thoughts
At Parker Shaw we have been at the forefront of the sector we serve, IT & Digital Recruitment and Consulting, for over 30 years. We can advise you on all your hiring needs. If you are looking for your next job in the IT sector please check our Jobs Board for our current live vacancies at https://parkershaw.co.uk/jobs-board.