In the competitive labour market, your resume (a.k.a. Curriculum Vitae (CV) is the first introduction to a potential employer. But what are employers looking for when reviewing CVs during hiring processes?
Finding the answer will help you land jobs and develop your career. From relevant skills and qualifications to impactful achievements, we delve into the elements an employer considers valuable when reviewing CVs.
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Realize your needs completely to create a good CV that recruiters and managers will look through. They look for candidates whose personal profiles have the required competencies and relevant experience and who express behaviour and values in accordance with the company’s culture.
They want people whose CVs display their key skills and experiences in an organized way that sparks their interest. They expect applicants to present their resumes neatly, concisely, and accurately, showcasing their professionalism and attention to detail.
To write an effective CV, you need to include the following key components that highlight your qualifications and experiences in the best possible light:
To distinguish your CV from others and be competitive, try the following strategies:
CV writing, coherent with the job description, will assure the employer that you match the parameters they are looking for.
Most job descriptions tend to be dotted with specific keywords and phrases. Identify and incorporate them throughout your CV. This way, your CV is more likely to pass through the applicant tracking system (ATS) and get noticed by hiring managers.
Take the time to address all the points in the listed requirements and demonstrate how you meet or exceed them. Showcase important accomplishments that can correlate with the job’s specific responsibilities.
Write the professional summary to reflect your grasp of the role and, more importantly, how you can best use your talents in the position.
Quantify your achievements and contributions from your employment history to prove your capabilities. Numbers and metrics help validate your claims and confirm your value for the company.
Focus on highlighting the results and outcomes of your actions rather than just listing job responsibilities. Recruiters are interested in the concrete results you’ve achieved in past roles.
Customize your quantifiable accomplishments to align with the specific requirements of the jobs you’re applying for. Choose examples that showcase significant abilities and experiences directly applicable to the role.
Include a diverse range of accomplishments that describe abilities at which you excel. For example, this could include career achievements related to revenue growth, cost savings, customer satisfaction, or other pertinent metrics.
Employing a clear, jargon-free style of writing for a CV is important if you want to convince recruiters that your abilities and past experiences are valuable.
Here are some tips for achieving this in your CV:
The layout and formatting of the CV not only attract the attention of a recruiter but also highlight the most relevant candidates, in this case, you.
Here are some key considerations for tailoring the layout of your CV:
By thoughtfully considering the appearance of the CV, you can design a document that showcases your abilities and experiences, increasing your chances of getting through to interviews.
Making a list that displays the major details that can catch the recruiter’s attention will consequently enhance the effectiveness of your CV.
Begin your CV with a summary section focused on your best experiences and essential career accomplishments. This serves as a point of reference and a short description of the features you have to offer as a future employee.
Write a skills section or include skills that emphasize your suitability for the job throughout your CV. Use keywords and phrases from the job advert to help your CV pass through the ATS.
Modify work experience descriptions to include successes and responsibilities in previous positions that most match what might be expected of you.
Include your educational background and list all academic references and achievements that can confirm your suitability for the position.
Ensure your CV is well-organized and easy to read. Use headings, bullet points, and succinct language to present the information in a well-structured and accessible layout.
Give a final proofreading of your CV so you get rid of the oversight of spelling, grammar, gaps or format. A well-polished CV will reconfirm that you are the right person for the job.
Aligning your CV for specific job applications minimizes the chances of your efforts ending in a puff of smoke.
Some valid bullet points on how to customize your CV below:
This strategy puts you in a great position to leave a lasting impression and eventually move on to the next level of the hiring process.
Remember to avoid common mistakes in your CV — it is essential to demonstrate your experience and current qualifications.
For example, misspellings, gaps or linguistic mistakes can discredit you and may even bring about unconscious bias from the employer.
Texts with messy or overcrowded layouts can make it difficult for the reader to locate the important information.
Including old or irrelevant information in your CV will draw focus away from what you can do and your accomplishments.
Using a too-casual e-mail address or an unprofessional personal website can result in a negative employer opinion.
Being too technical and simply listing your job responsibilities will also have a diminishing impact on your CV.
Telling lies in your resume by exaggerating your capabilities or making up information will ruin your credibility and make the recruiter less likely to contact you.
Your age, marital status or interests are usually less relevant to the job and should be left out, leaving only contact details.
If you want to get an interview request, you should understand what kind of resume an employer likes to see. Hiring managers’ criteria include clarity, simple formatting, and proper structure.
Recruiters want to see how your skills and experiences align with the role. Adapt your resume to each application and list the relevant competencies.
Employers are impressed by quantifiable accomplishments that show your performance in previous roles. Instead of lengthy and descriptive texts, use figures and metrics.
Recruiters highly value your soft skills and personality traits, such as leadership, communication, and teamwork. These are the qualities that make you unique and stand out from the crowd. So, don’t hesitate to highlight them in your resume to boost your confidence and get the attention you deserve.
With most CVs, an employer can tell if the author has used a standard template. Invest some time in every job application you submit, and carefully play up the features that make you stand out.
An employer appreciates candidates who show integrity. Do not overstate your capabilities and experiences, as this can backfire during the job interview.
Take note of any guidelines provided by the employer regarding resume layout, submission procedure, or further materials. Not following instructions can signal a lack of attention to detail and professionalism.
