Did you know? Recruiters spend an average of 7.4 seconds while perusing a resume, according to employment consultancy website, Ladders.
So, what do we need to do to make your CV stand out within 8 seconds – let’s find out the top tips from recruiting experts.
Keep it short and simple
Often, job seekers may put in too much information to give the hiring company the best idea of their skills and capabilities; but this may end up making their CVs looking cluttered and overwhelming.
An easy way to cut through the clutter is to focus on one’s most marketable skills and relevant managerial experiences if available and allow essential information to stand out.
Another good tip to incorporate is to highlight more on recent experiences. If the candidate’s past work experiences have a similar job scope, then focus on achievements.
For jobs from more than ten years ago, the descriptions can be reduced to a simple one-liner to save space as resumes are usually a page or two long.
These days, job seekers have also gone the creative route and added infographics or videos to make their application stand out further.
Elevate your resume to the next level
Job portals, recruiters, or company HR emails are flooded with applications from all sources. Take a look around your social networks and see if the job seeker can find someone to forward his/her resume to the hiring team.
According to a career coach, Christy Noel, referrals have a 50% chance of getting an interview; therefore, prepare an excellent cover letter or e-mail and send it directly over.
Personalise your cover letter
Before reading a person’s CV, the recruiter might just scan through his/her cover letter as part of the initial screening.
A good cover letter should go straight into the point to why the candidate is best suited for the job and brief explanations if there are gaps during the past years.
Each paragraph can answer questions such as why you want this role, why you want to work for this company, why you are suitable, and wrap it up by giving your contact information and thanking the hiring manager for the opportunity.
