As a rule, representatives of the HR department are engaged in filtering the flow of CVs. Only those letters that meet the required criteria are sent for further consideration. The rest of the letters are deleted.
We’ve analyzed the opinions of HR managers and recruiters from IT companies to find out by what criteria CVs fall into the first category. Let’s have a look at the main issues to consider.
CV Volume
The best volume for a resume is 1-2 pages as it is the most convenient amount of information for HRs and recruiters to study. It is possible that you might have a lot of experience that is essential to indicate as it is relevant to the job post you are applying for. Try to fit it into three pages max as it is the largest acceptable volume. You can add a link to your LinkedIn profile where you can indicate all the experience you had and the recruiter can check it if you are good for the position.
General Structure
Try to stick to the common structure that allows you to indicate all the necessary information. This includes a description of skills and knowledge, work experience, education, and a description of achievements. If you have a lot of different experiences worth mentioning, then it makes sense to bring important data to the top – create a Summary section before describing your last jobs.
The Photo
Most HRs believe that the presence of a photo is not necessary and is never a decisive moment. To summarize, having a photo can be a plus, as it adds personality. Choose a simple photo with your face clearly visible. If you are not sure whether the card is suitable, then it is better not to add it.
Experience Description
Remember about the structure and chronology in this section. HR should be able to clearly see and understand what you’ve done, where, and when. Start with a date, then add the name of the company you worked for. Write your job position and list the responsibilities and roles. You can also add your achievements in the projects.
If during the work for the employer there were several projects, then it is better to register them separately. If there were a lot of projects, then it is enough to choose the most indicative and relevant for the position for which you are applying.
The experience of five or more years ago can be forgotten or described very briefly. Most likely, this information is no longer relevant. An exception can only be made if the old experience is relevant to the position in question. The chronology should be in reverse order – from the last place of work to the older ones.
Personal Qualities
Most HR managers do not believe that this part must be present in the resume because people usually fill it with common qualities from the standard list.
Formatting
Your resume should attract the attention of recruiters but don’t try to achieve it by using various styles, fonts, and colors. The best option is to put all the information into logical blocks, describe the key data in headings, and place your contact information in a separate block. It should be simple for HR to find all the information fast.
Cover Letter
Usually, there is no special requirement for providing a cover letter. Many recruiters also don’t pay attention to its presence. However, this is a possibility to tell more about yourself and explain why you are interested in this certain position. Recruiters recommend:
- introduce yourself;
- write what vacancy you are applying for;
- indicate the location (if the company has offices in different cities);
- add a short description of your experience and skills relevant to this vacancy.
Important: not just a generalization of experience, but a customized text in accordance with the requirements specified in a certain vacancy. Template messages cause a negative reaction from recruiters.
The Most Common Mistakes
HR specialists identify the following typical mistakes that create a negative impression of the candidate:
- irrelevant information: skills and knowledge do not meet the requirements of the vacancy;
- insufficient information about work experience;
- the level of foreign language proficiency is not indicated;
- unstructured design;
- grammatical errors;
- unsuitable photo.
Also, recruiters may be confused by the inconsistency of the information indicated in the resume and in the LinkedIn profile, humor and jargon are inappropriate, as well as an excessively large section with personal interests and hobbies.