The job search involves sending many, many resumes. Unfortunately, not all come to fruition: Human Resources departments handle hundreds of them a week, and able to overcome the initial screening is a complicated percentage. What is the best way to make your resume stand out from others? In this article, we will try to answer that question by talking with HR departments of two large international companies. This spiced with tips and experiences told by other recruiters is what they have told us about it.
Where the first seen going?
Important first impressions, in any HR department hours that can be devoted to looking carefully resumes, are limited: make a visual summary in a few tenths of seconds is relevant. Therefore, it also knows where the eyes are directed for the first time.
“When we receive a CV gaze is directed to the first position indicated in the document (we hope will be the most current) and since when is playing, “explains Diego Farm, talent acquisition of Samsung. “Then we review their previous experiences to the end read more carefully what we have found more interesting.” First, look directly to the front line.
It is logical, on the other hand, but the procedures vary. In Quora, for example, a recruiter Facebook and Google offered other clues. “Generally, I try to find out what the current status of this person, and why or if you might be interested in a new role (…) But more importantly, is your most recent experience relevant to the position for I’m hiring?”.
What is the importance of the last job?
As stated in the above example, influences, but to what extent? “The ultimate experience is very relevant when assessing a candidate. However, there are no absolute truths at this point. It may happen that, due to circumstances, the ultimate experience was an accident in the career of the candidate, blip, passenger and unrepresentative “explained from the Human Resources department of BBVA.
“If for some reason has taken a misstep, or have spent a year to do anything that was not related to your vocation, quiet: the context is also important in explaining your work experience together”
From Samsung agree: “The latest work is the presentation of the candidate, but not usually outshines the overall trajectory at first glance the CV is seen as everything (as we do with a map) which reviewed the general tour, and more. Later, we analyze in detail the rest of the information and the degree of adjustment to what we are looking for.”
Evolution manifested in the rest of the career summary of each is equally important, as we see when to contextualize the most recent work. If for some reason you have taken a misstep, or you have spent a year to do anything that was not related to your vocation, quiet. “In those cases, we must assess the profile as a whole, seeing past experience, the relevance of the functions performed in each of these stages, their duration, etc.,” added from BBVA.
Of course, in the end, if your career is set to the position you are applying for and according to the work you are from, have enough weight:
In cases where yes there is a consistency in the professional career with reasonable changes and in any case, explicable in terms of the interests and circumstances of the person. That’s very important to assess the ultimate experience since we understand to be the latest of the candidate we are evaluating professional qualifications, and whose knowledge and functions performed, will be more “fresh” in its path, and, therefore, more linked to the possible requirements that we marking.
A lot import company name
If a competitor has worked in a company more famous or more famous you came from you, it is easier. The name matter, but perhaps not in the way you can imagine. They explain that from BBVA:
Companies in which have worked the person we are considering can become very relevant if we consider that the fact itself can define the type of projects that may have been involved or functions that may be performed. The branding of companies reflects, in many cases, not only the business they are engaged, but also the culture, values, modes of work, type of projects, and ultimately, the kind of people we to consider in our selection process.
Yes, the company is relevant, but the mere fact of having worked for X is not automatically synonymous with success: “The name of the company is something that attracts, but not as important as the role played, consistency in his career or projects in which it has participated. Therefore, it may draw attention at first glance, but is most remarkable experiences and achievements,” added from Samsung.
How relevant is the order of the sections?
Sure, but also it depends on each and the type of position you vacuuming. Not the same try to access a university research department, where a mechanical office work is not as important as having completed a Master, who presented a managerial position in a big company.
“It is highly recommended that there is the first section of personal data, followed by an excerpt from the type of person the candidate or candidate finds it, then reflecting professional experience and training”
“The CV is very personal, and each must make the model that feels more identified and comfortable. From our point of view, if you are starting your career and just have relevant positions, the highlight will be training having “indicate from Samsung. However, everything depends on: “If a broader career (5 years or more) brings is a more interesting first experience but insist that this is a matter of personal taste almost.”
BBVA warn of something increasingly standardized: many companies open forms online standardized in which the candidate has to go filling the information that is required. It is done to more effectively index information, advance screening of candidates who do not comply with the order.
However, CV still used, and there they come in the order of the factors. Does it alter the product? “It is highly recommended that there is the first section of personal data, followed by an excerpt from the type of person the candidate or candidate believes that reflecting then professional experience, academic and further training, languages, and a final section of interests and hobbies.”
Then put the first experience, right?
Not quite…! Your training is important: “It is the fact that in the absence of a relevant professional experience, allow us to initially calibrate the degree of adjustment of the individual to the requirements to cover certain positions.” Say from the department of BBVA.
If you take twenty years of occupation and to new horizons are heading for, it is unlikely you looking for a career you studied a quarter century ago. However, if you just go out to work, yes. Samsung again: “The training weight depends on the experience … Required If a profile is starting his professional career, come to the forefront and will be relevant aspects spent time training received; middle notes If a profile experienced training is a plus”.
Of course, if the position you are applying requires specific training, it will be capital.
Okay, other information over
Cover and training experience, and given the speed with which devour resumes by persons responsible for examining them, is it worth wasting time explaining what our hobbies and interests? A priori, it seems trivial information. However, they are a slippery slope and only useful in the second screen.
“From our point of view we believe there to be practical, so aspects such as interests, personal details in a first screening do not provide additional value. Perhaps important aspects such as cobra personal projects (NGOs, PPP Development own venture an Erasmus) scholarship can tell us more profile, if you like movies, skiing or if married,” say from Samsung.
“They allow us to see, somehow, some additional information to the professional, the person we are evaluating facet. However, we must not forget either, the effect of social desirability that may reflect such comments and can find statements that may respond more to what the candidate thinks we’re going to value positively, really, which reflect their interests, etc. , “added from BBVA.
How much time is spent reviewing a CV?
In the end, it is important to do everything concisely. The analysis time is limited, and thus, be effective in the preceding paragraphs is so important. How much can you take to analyze a resume? “In a first screen, we spent a short time, putting the focus on the key points that may interest CV” as years of experience, positions or technological skills, they say from Samsung.
“The ideal CV should have no more than two pages, and if possible, should condense all in the first”
Since BBVA maintain that depends on the curriculum: “Reading depend on how broad the information is reflected, and what they have been clear explanation that the person is including in his presentation”.
In the case of doubt, the immediate success of a CV is the result of the degree of impact in the shortest possible time, and therefore its ability to overcome the first screen or to remain in the memory of the person in charge of selecting. At the end of the day, in 25 seconds you can send or accept a nomination.
Okay, so not very long, right
Nope. “The perfect length is a page that reflects the fundamentals of the profile of the person. Faced with vast experiences, this length allowing us to see too is the candidate’s ability to synthesize and really capture the information relevant to the objective pursues” recommend from BBVA.
Samsung leaves the door open to more extension, but no more:
For us ideally should have no more than two pages and first ensure that the most relevant appears: contact details, recent relevant experience, training … not something that influences a lot when discarding have many or few leaves, but it does give you an idea of his ability to synthesize, to put focus on what matters, schematic capacity, sort of ideas.
As indicated in conclusion, “the purpose of a CV is to be called, for this reason, we believe it is better synthetic one. In this way, we seek to create a space for a subsequent conversation or phone call for more information.” When in doubt: Cordite and foot, but very well run.