Why is your CV more than just a CV..

I am a recruiter, and as it goes in our field I am receiving CV’s every single day.

Candidates reach out to me and ask if I may have suitable role that can match their profile and demand if they can share their CV. Yes, you are more than welcome to send your CV across - I say to them and I receive it just in minutes..

I like to ask professionals few questions about themselves and what they are aiming for in terms of career progression, so it is always interesting to read about each and everyone’s personal situation, everybody has a story to tell. The question is why are the CV’s I receive almost never painting the same picture?  

Yes, I know, a CV is meant to inform about one’s professional experience, skills, achievements and expertise. It is not a story and it isn’t meant to be a social media profile.

I m still surprised though to see how few professionals out there decide to revise their profile, once in a while.. What do I mean by revise? What I mean is sit down and ask yourself the question - if I was a recruiter or an HR professional what would I think of this resume?

Would I be impressed by it? Would I remember it for any reason in particular and would I consider this person for the job?  

I know far too many questions you couldn’t possibly know the answer to, right?

Well, let me help you. The way a recruiter or any professional dealing with talent acquisition and selection will see your CV isn’t much different from the way your colleagues or your friends would. People are people, and they judge, stereotype and like or dislike for similar reasons. Example: if you showed up for an interview looking like you were going to walk your dog it would certainly create a bad impression. Well, it is kind of the same with CV’s ..

Wait before you say: What on earth is she talking about?? How is my CV the same thing as me in person? Well it sort of is. Before we even get to meet with you dear candidate we judge you on your profile, on your picture and on plenty of other elements that may be available on line …

Now, the main difference between you and a recruiter, when it comes to judging a CV, is that HR folks receive tons of these! You don’t. Which makes it even harder for you to stand out when you think about it .

Do give it a thought… What would someone who receives tons of CV’s a day will be most likely to be impressed by? Or how can I stand out from the rest of the people (30, 300 or maybe 1000) who just like me send they professional resumes to this same person?  

When we put it this way it makes sense right? If you consider the fact that a CV is scanned in 6 seconds (in average) by a recruiter, before they decide to actually read it, how would you approach the all CV question?  

My advice: Stand out, leave your print on it, re-think your message and your core values! People like people with values and they love them for their values. The only reason why you are being checked out on linkedIn is because other professionals or HR leaders want to know who you really are. Even before they call you for a quick chat they want to see what you look like, what you are good at, what other people say about you, what may be your values and are your skills what they need.  

Your CV dear candidate is very forgettable. It is written in Times Roman or Ariel, it is on plain white paper and in some cases goes forever. I am not saying you are being incompetent by using the same CV you first designed when you graduated. I am saying you have maybe forgotten or you haven’t yet realized that your CV is part of your brand, and of your image.  

The recruitment process has drastically changed for companies who now really have to think about their brand and best practices when it comes to attracting top talent. Talent however – or YOU – is in a totally different position too. Professionals are now competing more than ever for the dream job! You need to sell your skills, your image and your expertise in the same way Mars wants to sell you chocolate bars! :)

So why don’t you start thinking of a new design for your brochure – ie: your CV, and of your added value as a professional. Make it unique, make it exciting and make us recruiters want to buy from you!

Any questions? :)