What do Recruiters look for in a CV?

A hall full of final year students were asked – What is the function of a CV? To get the job was an answer received by one of the students and most of the students nodded. Another array of answers was given but the speaker was waiting for the perfect answer. At last, he looked at all the aspiring faces and said, “The purpose of a CV is not to get the job but to get shortlisted.”

Most people misunderstand that the job of a CV is to get the job so people, especially students fresh out of college cram as much information and achievements as possible to impress the prospective boss. Experts say that a recruiter approximately spends 30 seconds on a CV so every candidate has roughly half a minute to make an impression. The best way to do that is an efficient and impeccable CV which consists of your achievements appropriate to the job you are applying for and highlights the qualities that make you a valuable asset to the company.

So here is the list of pointers that will help you create a CV that top recruiters from around the country look out for –

1. Relevant Information. 

A CV should include information relevant to the job and also information which is true in respect to present times. Do not ever mention something you did in 8th grade at the school because you don’t want to leave any field blank in a CV. Any sport that you did in school 7 years ago and have left now is not worth mentioning. Also if you have had the same hobby for years or any sports you played for years, do not think that it is not relevant since these things show your dedication and passion.

2. Quantify your CV. 

The simplest way of presenting any information is in terms of quantifiable and numerical data. With time as little available as 30 seconds, quantifying your CV will not only portray you as an efficient organizer but also makes it easy for the recruiter to understand you better. When a company sits for placement interviews at a college, they receive CVs from variety of courses so just enlisting your mark if you are a high achiever won’t much help, since the recruiter does not know how much marks are good marks so instead of just simply stating the marks, you can add - “in the top 10% of my graduating class” Therefore, quantify as much information as possible. Another example of quantifying your society work – Led 400 students and handled a budget of INR 5 Lac for the functioning of society.

3. Sell Yourself. 

Writing the names of companies and people you have worked with will impress the recruiter but don’t end on that note. Your real achievement lies in how successful was your work while working in that particular organization. Do mention the difference you made while working for them and if you did not make any positive impact, you can always write the skills you learned while you interned. The basic idea is to sell yourself. If you get a pre-placement offer, do mention it in your CV. If you were promoted, do mention it. Also always mention the title or post you were assigned apart from just writing that you worked with such and such people.

4. Highlight.

Highlighting attracts recruiters attention to the points you want the recruiter to pay attention to. Your strengths and experiences should be highlighted because instead of the recruiter scanning your CV looking for your major achievements among other minor things, it makes the recruiter's work easier and makes your major achievements stand out so that the recruiter does not miss out on them while reading other minor achievements.



Written by Sanya K. Aitwani
Complicated thinker with a creative streak and perceptive outlook.