Latest CV requirements?

[PoleDriver]

Over the years I have always had great success at producing a CV which would get me to interview. I am well aware that the format changes every so-often and was wondering if there are any recruitment/HR bods on here who could enlighten me as to what is the desired format this year.
I am going to be applying for a technical/sales/management position loosely based around electronics-based products!

Cheers!

[matt28]

I'm not in HR/Recruitment but regularly recruit and probably get a few dozen CVs a week on average.

The ones the grab my attention are:

• key achievements near the top (as in what you actually did and what the result was) - this is the most important thing IMO and something that most people don't even include
• skills/experience matched to the position I'm hiring for...i.e. tailored CV for that job
• sensible career history with logical progression (obviously this is hard to get in there if you have a patchy career history)
• nicely formatted with good font and use of whitespace

The ones I ignore/dislike:

• cookie-cutter/templated CVs that aren't tailored (e.g. irrelevant detailed points about how great they are at databases when applying for a UI designer role)
• a CV that reads like a job spec (I want to know about achievements, not just a duties list)
• too much detail (e.g. 5+ pages for a mid-level developer looking for his 3rd job)
• too little detail (e.g. 3 bullet points about someone's most recent role that they'd been in for 8 years)

[PoleDriver]

matt28 said:

I'm not in HR/Recruitment but regularly recruit and probably get a few dozen CVs a week on average.

The ones the grab my attention are:

• key achievements near the top (as in what you actually did and what the result was) - this is the most important thing IMO and something that most people don't even include
• skills/experience matched to the position I'm hiring for...i.e. tailored CV for that job
• sensible career history with logical progression (obviously this is hard to get in there if you have a patchy career history)
• nicely formatted with good font and use of whitespace

The ones I ignore/dislike:

• cookie-cutter/templated CVs that aren't tailored (e.g. irrelevant detailed points about how great they are at databases when applying for a UI designer role)
• a CV that reads like a job spec (I want to know about achievements, not just a duties list)
• too much detail (e.g. 5+ pages for a mid-level developer looking for his 3rd job)
• too little detail (e.g. 3 bullet points about someone's most recent role that they'd been in for 8 years)

Cheers!
That's about the right then! That's how I view it myself. Plenty of detail relevant to the position sought. Enough history to show how I got to where I am!

[DJC]

You seriously care about what format your CV is in? I dont think I have changed mine since I first wrote it, except adding/tailoring the content as more work/roles have been done. It would be adding only but I feel a CV should be 2 sides of A4 length only.

[mr_tony]

No longer than 2 pages. Key skills / achievemnets at the top.

List job hitory in reverse - so I can see the job you are doing NOW first. I don't want to wade through your life in chronological order, I ahve to read a lot of these and it's quite boring.

Don't put a bulls*hit paragraph talking about how you are 'highly motivated'. Your job history and achievements will tell me that, not some blather. Blather is for bullsh*t merchants and nobody wants to hire them.

Keep it simple, keep it punchy. If you have relavent skills and experience then details can be discovered at interview.

Never use the World 'we' - I want to know what YOU did.
Spell correctly, make sure your name address and telephone number are up to date.

I don't want to know that you took home economics GCSE if you are a 35 year old applying for a sales role. I don't really care what class your degree was, and what your final year project was i your history degree if you have been out of university for more than 10 years (unless it's spookily relavent then perhaps), your aptitude for work at uni tells me little compared to your job history.

Don't bullst. If you list 50 achievements and you were there only 9 months, then I know you're lying!

Don't (and this one was a real CV I got) list your personal faults. Stating that you lack attention to detail because you're a fast worker but a bit sloppy on your CV is guaranteed to get your resume binned!

[syed2011]

I think the first most important thing in Todays Cv is, Writing the most matchable keywords related to the job. as we know Cvs are being Scan now.. so it will enhance chances of getting Cv notice Quickly.

[mr_tony]

Also, I have to say that the CV is dead in paper form.
If I'm recruiiting, the guys I use will use linkedin to find the candidate - and I'll spend far more time on their linked in profile working out who they worked for etc, than I will reading the CV. A good linked in profile is much better at getting you hired than a CV for jobs in my industry..

[PoleDriver]

DJC said:

You seriously care about what format your CV is in? I dont think I have changed mine since I first wrote it, except adding/tailoring the content as more work/roles have been done. It would be adding only but I feel a CV should be 2 sides of A4 length only.

If you are seriously interested in getting to interview you need a good CV.
Recruiters perception of what constitutes an ideal CV have changed over the years. It used to be the case that the person who eould be your boss would the only one to read the CV, they would get applicants numbering in the tens and would want to know everything about you.
These days it is often the case that the first person to view your CV will be an office junior/secretary/receptionist who will have no idea of what the job entails. They are normally given a list of keywords and select a short list according to how many of the keywords are found in the CV. If they have a pile of anything up to a thousand CV's their attention span will begin to diminish after the first paragraph and some good applicants can be lost.
Unfair? Yes! But this is what happens so you need to produce a CV/covering letter which will grab their attention!

Now I have half answered by own question I just need to know if there are any recent changes in the way things are laid out, are there any new buzz-words which recruiters are looking for and should everything be included in the CV direct, or should a seperate covering letter be included for the specific job application?

[DJC]

mr_tony said:

Also, I have to say that the CV is dead in paper form.
If I'm recruiiting, the guys I use will use linkedin to find the candidate - and I'll spend far more time on their linked in profile working out who they worked for etc, than I will reading the CV. A good linked in profile is much better at getting you hired than a CV for jobs in my industry..

Oh dont be daft.
Ive been on Linkedin longer than most and I actually updated my profile last week for the first time in 4 years, i.e. I actually logged into it for the first time in 4 yrs. I wouldnt take a single thing written on any internet profile with an ounce of truth.

[mr_tony]

DJC said:

mr_tony said:

Also, I have to say that the CV is dead in paper form.
If I'm recruiiting, the guys I use will use linkedin to find the candidate - and I'll spend far more time on their linked in profile working out who they worked for etc, than I will reading the CV. A good linked in profile is much better at getting you hired than a CV for jobs in my industry..

Oh dont be daft.
Ive been on Linkedin longer than most and I actually updated my profile last week for the first time in 4 years, i.e. I actually logged into it for the first time in 4 yrs. I wouldnt take a single thing written on any internet profile with an ounce of truth.

Perhaps if you've not been using it it doesn't work for you. I get approached by headhunters regularly, and so do my staff. Those with linked in profiles that are well maintained, clearly not full of bullcr*ap and link in to other credible people in the industry I'm in are the ones who get approached most.

Certainly it is industry dependent, but if you're in a technical industry, then it's naturally going to be one of the key channels. When I'm hiring into a global team, I checked the individual applicants linked in profile. I work for a technology company, and if the candidate doesn't have an up to date profile it does make me wonder how seriously they are taking getting recruited in this space.

Sure if you're into animal husbandry then a linkedin profile probably isn't so important...

[Pickled Piper]

mr_tony said:

DJC said:

mr_tony said:

Also, I have to say that the CV is dead in paper form.
If I'm recruiiting, the guys I use will use linkedin to find the candidate - and I'll spend far more time on their linked in profile working out who they worked for etc, than I will reading the CV. A good linked in profile is much better at getting you hired than a CV for jobs in my industry..

Oh dont be daft.
Ive been on Linkedin longer than most and I actually updated my profile last week for the first time in 4 years, i.e. I actually logged into it for the first time in 4 yrs. I wouldnt take a single thing written on any internet profile with an ounce of truth.

Perhaps if you've not been using it it doesn't work for you. I get approached by headhunters regularly, and so do my staff. Those with linked in profiles that are well maintained, clearly not full of bullcr*ap and link in to other credible people in the industry I'm in are the ones who get approached most.

Certainly it is industry dependent, but if you're in a technical industry, then it's naturally going to be one of the key channels. When I'm hiring into a global team, I checked the individual applicants linked in profile. I work for a technology company, and if the candidate doesn't have an up to date profile it does make me wonder how seriously they are taking getting recruited in this space.

Sure if you're into animal husbandry then a linkedin profile probably isn't so important...

Interesting. I deliberately keep my online information vague. I may have to rethink.

pp