Short, relevant CV now key to obtaining a job interview

As recruiters spend just seven seconds assessing a resume, experts say it is best to craft a short, “glance-proof’’ CV.

Recruiters spend just seven seconds assessing a resume before deciding whether jobseekers will proceed to an interview.

Experts say crafting a short, “glance-proof’’ CV is the best way to grab the attention of hirers, warning that resumes more than two pages long will likely be a disadvantage.

“Think about how much you can take in if you have seven seconds to read one page, compared to the amount you can take in if you have seven seconds to read four pages,’’ says Indeed career coach Sally McKibbin.

“You have to step in the recruiter’s shoes – depending on the role, they could be receiving 2000 applications.

“So keep it simple. Make sure the information in your CV matches the (requirements of the) job you’re going for.’’

WHAT TO INCLUDE

McKibbin says skills and experience should always be listed at the top of a resume.

Transferable skills should also be included and are particularly important for those without previous work experience.

Anything not relevant to the role being applied for should be left out, McKibbin says.

“You need to think, ‘Is this relevant to the role?’ and ‘Is it going to make the recruiter look at me in a different way if I’m listing this?’ she says.

Skills and experience should always be listed at the top of a one-page resume. Anything not relevant to the role being applied for should be left out.

“There’s no point in me including information about my experience at a call centre or at a retail outlet if I’m going for a recruiter role.’’

She says most personal information can also be excluded as it is likely to be brought up at the interview stage.

Henders Careers general manager Michelle Bentley says the exception to this is including your Covid-19 vaccination status, which is often seen as desirable, even if not specifically requested.

NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH

Bentley says each role you apply for will require a rejigged resume.

“The best CVs are relevant not only to the candidate and depicts them, their skills and capabilities, achievements and career experiences succinctly but they are also relevant to the potential employer and role on offer,’’ she says.

“Resumes should be tailored to speak directly to the job opportunities. So tweaks of CVs are advised for each application submitted.’’

Sachin Santhosh, 25, knows the impact of a good resume, having spent nine fruitless months applying for IT roles using a “word-heavy’’ CV that outlined his career objectives, qualifications, skills and experience and included written references.

For each role he applied for, Santhosh did not receive a reply.

But after cutting the resume back to one page, Santhosh immediately started getting call backs for interviews and last month secured a role as a technical support officer.

Sachin Santhosh received responses to job applications once he reduced the size of his CV.

“I always felt there were a lot of worker shortages in the areas I was applying for but I was just overlooked because my CV took too long to read,’’ he says.

“As soon as I changed it, I started getting replies (requests for interview) – even after getting this job, I’ve still been getting calls for the other jobs that I had applied for.’’

RESUMES TO BECOME OBSOLETE

While resumes are commonly used by hirers, JobAdder APAC sales director Dave Johnson believes their days are numbered.

Johnson says assessment tools that predict a candidate’s suitability for a role – which he describes as more contemporary versions of the “antiquated’’ Myer Briggs testing – are slowly gaining traction with employers.

“All a CV is doing is showing what someone has done – it’s not talking about what they could do,’’ he says.

“But as jobs that haven’t even been invented yet are starting to come into the market, what we did last year is almost irrelevant and doesn’t indicate your potential.

“More forward thinking organisations are already shifting to an assessment consideration … and in roles that don’t require a legislated skill, I think those assessments will become much more widespread.’’

HOW TO CATCH THE EYE OF RECRUITERS

Henders Careers general manager Michelle Bentley shares these tips for making your resume stand out:

The first page is important – it is the most visible and therefore the most read page of a job application so view it as an executive summary of your full CV. Make sure the information is succinct and reader-friendly.

Make it relevant to the role – resumes should be tailored to speak directly to each specific job opportunity.

Consider the layout – a well-structured document, with clear headings, allows the reader to quickly find the information they need.

Font style and size matter – common fonts include Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Helvetica, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS and Verdana. Size will vary depending on the font used but is generally 10.5 to 12 for Times New Roman.

Use a Header on every page with your name and contact number – it will help recruiters to remember you. Also include a Footer with page numbers.