The Perfect Resume/CV

I must say, I’ve always had a knack for writing a good resume/CV, going back to the days when I first started typing up my own CVs, and I think that, especially in today’s tough job market, a good resume is probably your most valuable asset in finding employment.

I remember years ago, running a small business from home, where I just sat churning out CVs all day long. That was in the days before the internet and emailing had really taken off. I placed an ad regularly in a local newspaper, and all the resumes were printed off on fancy paper, presented in nice binders, and sent by snail mail. I must admit, I was pretty busy, and in the small room that I used as an office, the walls were full of ‘Thank You’ cards from people who had got that job, thanks to my help. So many people said that they were told they were invited along for interview because of their CV.

When I came here to the US, I found it was an entirely different ball game as far as resumes were concerned. I remember going for one of my first interviews with an agency, and the woman took a pen, and sat there scoring out two-thirds of my resume. With a few strokes, she turned my 3 pages into a 1-page resume:

“Take out that, and that, and that. Change that. They don’t like to read here”, she said.

Sure enough, through experience, I’ve found that to be exactly the case.

Back home, I worked in management, where I was responsible for interviewing and recruitment. I also later went on to work for a while for that aforementioned agency here in New York (yes, she called me back in for a job!), so I know exactly what employers are looking for.

With the agency, I could sit there with a pile of 200 resumes, yet pick out just a handful that we wanted to interview. Depending on the position, we were looking for key skills. There were also other criteria to be taken into consideration of course, depending on the jobs we were trying to fill i.e. longevity in positions, qualifications, etc, but in the main, if, within 2 minutes of reading a resume, I thought that person would be a good fit, then they would be called in for interview. The rest were just put to the bottom of the pile and filed away.

That’s all the more reason why your resume has to stand out. It has to be clear and concise, but at the same time, you have to make sure that you don’t exclude the keywords that you know any potential employers will be looking for. They don’t want to see fancy, shaded boxes. They don’t want to see that you could write, “War and Peace” (even if you’re applying for a writing job!). Within 2 minutes, they want to be picking up on points that entice them or you’re boring them.

Cover letters are entirely the same. In the agency I worked for, they were just totally disregarded. For private companies, they may put more importance in cover letters, but again, don’t bore them. Just keep to any vital points relevant to the position.

In conclusion, I would say that the perfect resume/CV is clear, concise; it highlights your relevant skills and experience within 2 minutes of reading, and captivates their attention. With the perfect resume, you can use it to apply for any relevant jobs within your field. If you have to provide more concise information, then you can include that in your cover letter, but again, keep it brief.

Please also check out my Interview Tips. The resume will get you through the door, but sometimes the decision has already been made before you even enter the interview room: http://www.highlandbusinessservices.com/#!interview-tips/c2nz