Hardly a Hollywood blockbuster (far from it!) but I have worked in recruitment for some years now and have seen some terrific CV’s but I’ve also seen some that leave a lot to be desired. What people strive to achieve in life never ceases to amaze me but hearing about these journeys and having the opportunity to help someone fulfill their professional aspirations can be very rewarding. Working through a CV with a candidate is arguably THE most important thing a recruiter should do before trying to represent him or her. Offering career advice and guidance to lawyers always been my niche and whilst the majority are very well-educated perfectionists that require minimal help or assistance there are those that still make me smile (or frown) and while there will never be a simple perfect template to follow for all, there are some simple rules that should always be obeyed regardless of the industry. A CV should create enough curiosity for a potential employer to want to meet with you. Your CV may only get five seconds to demonstrate your capabilities. So how do we get the information across quickly and effectively? Here are my top ten tips:
#1 Make it reader friendly and easy to read
Leave the ego at home and use the third person. There is no place for ‘we’ ‘my’ ‘our’ or ‘I’. “James is the head of” is sharp and factual and doesn’t sound as boastful as ‘I am the head of’. Bullet points are a very handy way to ensure wording is kept simple, sharp and succinct. Three words you should not forget when writing your CV.
#2 Cut the fluff
“An experienced manager with a real passion for achieving great client experience and ensuring excellent delivery”. Waffle. I’ve no idea what this person actually does for a living and we don’t need it! neither do we need ‘’team players’’ that are ‘’striving and driving forward’’... I have no doubts you are all the above, but let’s stick to hard facts not soft skills as it’s on every CV. The hiring manager will soon nod off after reading about them on the first 10 CV’s they have looked at, by the time he sees it on yours he could already be disengaged. Hard facts please. Simple, Sharp, Succinct.
#3 Show the benefit of YOU to the employer
Remember you won’t be the only one applying for this job. If the client has asked for three-year qualified corporate solicitor, then everyone applying should already be a three-year qualified corporate solicitor. Why are you better? Or what have you done differently form the other applicants? Look at your hiring manager online, how can you help him/her?
#4 Sell YOUR talents and achievements
What you did, not the team or the firm. Following on from the above, identify yourself and what you have been recognised for to date. Let’s keep it relevant but notable cases, transactions, relationships, knowledge of niche markets or sectors and recognition for work done so far is what we need.
#5 Add Value
Client confidentiality must be respected, but where possible name high profile clients or transactions. Advised Coca Cola or a leading global carbonated soft drinks manufacturer on its $500 million acquisition of… is so much better than Advised on a high value M&A transactions’. Ground-breaking; record breaking; innovative; unprecedented are great adjectives you can use (but they must be factual and not fibs!)
#6 Don’t leave gaps and keep it chronological
Keep it simple and easy to read. A bit like a book if you like, the CV should flow so everything is in date chronological order with the most recent employment first then you are on the right tracks. The hiring manager will be building a picture of you and how your career has shaped out so far. Now they are curious :)
#7 We all had a Saturday job on the checkouts in our younger years and can all drive a car.
It’s 2018, so it is also a given that you are computer literate. Remove the obvious, the reader isn’t interested. Neither will they be very interested in any work you have done that is not relevant to the position you are applying for. Keep it relevant.
#8 Presentation
- Same font. Same size. Don’t deviate. Bold and Italics are OK but don’t overdo it. - Colour, black text. No need for artwork, maps or flags or missionary statements - No photo. 80% of CV’s with photos are rejected immediately. You might be better looking than most but don’t take the risk it is not necessary in a professional industry. - Don’t use boxes. A CV should flow and read like a book. Having boxes and pie-charts might be eye catching and jazzy but generally they are confusing and fragment a CV and can cause confusion to the reader. - Abbreviations may be unavoidable at times, but don’t be lazy write in full. Avoid industry jargon where you can.
#9 Personality
Occasionally the reason for applying for a job is for change in direction or. A change in focus, sector or industry driven by an inner feeling or passion. Let’s think about why that derivatives lawyer is applying for a role at a tier 1 Sports and Entertainment firm? Mention your hobbies, interests, pro-bono and work experience relevant to that firm. An interviewer will have even more doubts about your application if he or she cannot find a quick link between your CV or personality and their vacancy. Publications and awards might be good also if you can make a connection to the reader.
#10 And don’t forget the basics…
- Subjects AND grades you studied during all your education - Contact details. Yep! you will be surprised how many people apply and decide they don’t want to be contacted after applying - Dates of employment (months and years) - Training. Detail it, don’t ignore it - Languages. Just massive. - Keep references to yourself for now, you haven't got an interview yet - Don’t use your first ever email address on the CV! Firstname.lastname@email.com looks so much more professional - Two to four pages of A4 paper would be perfect, but there are no hard and fast rules on this depending on your seniority. I advise lawyers and some of this may not be relevant to other sectors or industries, but I hope it’s given you something to think about at least. Most CV’s should be accompanied by a short cover letter or nicer still a simple synopsis tailored to the vacancy or firm to which you are applying which can be included at the fore of the CV. I can’t help but feel if greater care is given to how we apply for work in the first place more people will be successful. Writing a CV is only a small part of this process, there are many other pitfalls we must contend with such as job portal software, gatekeepers and poor organisation and processes by clients which will often mean candidates will fall BEFORE the first hurdle, so…. GET THAT CV RIGHT! and eliminate the risk you pose to yourself by being slap-dash. The onus is then on the recruiter to then fulfill their obligations to you and get that interview!