On an average, a recruiter spends 5-7 seconds looking at your resume. So how do you catch his/her attention in that fleeting moment?
We asked global HR expert Mark A Driscoll to weigh in on the three must-haves of a good resume:
1. Clarity
“It (your resume) needs to be very clear and concise as it relates to what you’re looking for in a position,” says Driscoll. Hiring managers are busy people so draft your CV in such a manner that a mere glance is enough to tell them about what you seek in a position—and what they can expect to gain if they end up hiring you.
2. Get the length right
There ought to be a correlation between the length of your career and that of your CV. “If you have three years of experience, you probably shouldn’t have a four page CV,” says Driscoll. Keep a sense of balance.
3. Highlight relevant experience
If you’re applying for a marketing job with a publishing firm, play down your experience with an FMCG company and focus on your experience in the marketing department of a media organization instead. In fact, tailoring your CV individually to each application keeping in mind the specific demands of the job is the recommended practice.
There are several other guidelines to writing the perfect CV. But your rigour shouldn’t end at the resume stage. If you make it to the interview, make sure you work some questions in. It’s a great way to show off your intelligence and also prove that you are interested in the job. (Don’t hijack the conversation, though!) Also, be sure to read up about the organization and industry. “(The last thing to avoid) is … having no knowledge of the company when you are called for that first interview,” says Driscoll.
