Ten CV Commandments you cannot ignore! So with that in mind, here are my top ten CV thou shalt nots. Thou shalt not format thy CV using a font that will require the Recruiter to haul out a Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass in an attempt to read it. Thou shalt not, in a moment of creativity, decide that the fancier the font is, the more likely your CV is to be noticed. My recommendations on this and the above commandment are to use either Calibri (11pt), Ariel (11pt), Verdana (9pt) or Tahoma (9pt) for the body of your CV. Thou shalt not include thy ID number and full address (area of residence is sufficient) anywhere on thy CV. With identity fraud being as it is these days and the fact that you have no guarantee who will read your CV, including these details could put you at risk. Only supply this information once you have had personal contact with the Company or Recruiter and feel comfortable that they are legitimate. Thou shalt not display thy work experience in paragraph format. We love reading stories, but keep that for your covering letter. Record your duties in bullet form. We scan hundreds of CV’s and will automatically zone in on CV’s that are easy to read. Thou shalt not state thy last position as being that of an Actions and Repercussions Adviser and assume that thy Recruiter understands exactly what this entails. Whether your job title is unusual or not, list your duties. Think of what you do on a daily, weekly, quarterly and annual basis and list these functions in a logical fashion. Finding the balance between too much and too little info can be tricky. Ask a professional CV writer to assist if you are not sure what would best sell your skills and experience. Thou shalt not randomly list positions in a manner that requires the Recruiter to invest in Botox injections to erase the frown after spending hours trying to establish a timeline. List your most recent position first and work backwards ensuring that employment dates follow logically. Thou shalt not manipulate dates of employment or omit positions in an endeavour to disguise gaps or possible incidents of thy ex Manager asking security to escort thee off the premises. Believe it or not, we do check dates of employment with relative HR Departments and being honest with regard to circumstances you feel may jeopardise your job search is by far the safer route to follow. If we are aware of these things up-front, we take a far more objective approach when taking references. Finding out that the candidate has not been honest results in their CV swiftly being introduced to File 13. Thou shalt not save thy CV on countless separate pages, forcing already overworked Recruiter to have to open ten documents only to find out on the last one that you are actually looking for a quarter day job, pearl diving off the coast of the Philippines. Thou shalt not address thy CV to “Dear Sir/Madame” or “To whom it may concern” unless there is absolutely no other option. It is natural for people to respond better to correspondence that is addressed to them personally. And, contrary to popular belief, Recruiters are people. If there is a way to establish the contact person’s name, do it! Thou shalt not hit the send button repeatedly when applying for one particular position. Sending your CV through countless times will get you noticed, but not for the right reasons. I personally welcome a follow up call from the candidate to check if I have received their CV as it gives me an opportunity to give them feedback personally. Not sure if this will work with all Recruiters but give it a try
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:02:56 +0000
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