How To Write A CV From A Recruiter's Perspective

It is as clear as a bell that a CV is the most valuable yet daunting piece of paper for one’s career. Definitely, no one wants their CV to look outdated or hard to read, do you? But ironically, they are often littered with problems that land them in the ‘Reject’ pile. All things considered, it can be clearly evaluated that CV curation involves a lot more effort than one can speculate.

There is no dearth of articles saying, “You just have to get creative, be upfront, do a little rebranding, and you are sorted.” But it is easier said than done! This is mockingly something like hitting the arrow blindly and hoping that it would hit the bull’s eye. CV curation is a kind of thing where one cannot afford to be negligent because the immediate action of being called for an interview solely depends on what is written on that piece of paper.

Many of us,

Don’t know the right way to fit all the information onto one page
Are not sure about the format of the resume
Don’t understand what to exclude when the CV is too long
Get perplexed while choosing the right words
And some of us, maybe don’t even know what the heck a CV is!

Quick Fact: As per research, recruiters take less than 10 seconds to review your CV and decide whether to keep it or trash it!

With all this in mind, let’s get back to the drawing board and learn the ropes. We’ve got the best advice from seasoned recruiters, PlaceCommers, and MBA graduate thought partners, who have been in your shoes to find out how to write a CV that is flawless and compelling and that can stand out from the crowd and land you an interview!

How to write a CV That Gets Noticed?

There are a number of problems or dilemmas that every CV maker comes to terms with at some point in time. And it doesn't matter if you are just out of college or seeking a job change; the very fact that you are out there trying to get a job brings you the responsibility of CV curation. But how to write a CV for job? Here are some common resume problems you may have:

Selecting the best CV format

When it comes to how to write a good CV, the first thing is choosing the best CV format. There are plenty of CV templates, enough to make anyone baffled, and choosing the aptest one is a task that involves a bit of brainstorming and self-analysis. The three CV formats that are widely used are:

Reverse-chronological CV format: The focus is on the work experience. Here the most recent job is listed at the top followed by the older ones.
Functional CV format: The skills and other qualifications are emphasized rather than other parameters.
Hybrid CV format: It is a combination of the above two formats.

Depending on your requirement, one can select the best format that suits their requirements.

Conundrums of a cover letter

Here comes the most common advice when writing a professional CV. While many consider making a cover letter a monotonous task, others are not even aware of it, thus skipping it altogether. It is advisable to attach a cover letter with your CV unless you have been specifically asked not to do so by the recruiter.

Read - How to write a cover letter?

Beating Application Tracking System (ATS)

Do you know that before your resume reaches the hands of a live person, it often passes through an ATS, a type of software used by recruiters to rank all the job applications they receive? If No, then you strongly need to brush up on your CV accordingly, and if Yes, are you sure that your CV is ATS-proof? The solution is adding the right keywords in your CV so that your resume easily slides through the recruiter's radar.

No matter what qualifications you hold, if your key skills don’t reflect well in your resume then certainly you have fallen flat. You will be amazed to know how small tips can transform your CV upside-down.

How to write a good CV that catches recruiter’s attention

The most bewildering aspect of CV curation is to make an instant impact when it is opened. For this, you need to include points that make the recruiter glued to your resume and make you stand apart from others. Your CV can fall under any of the two categories i.e. skill-focussed or work-focussed. While a skill-focused CV is useful for people who want to specifically highlight the skills they have gathered over the years, a work-focused CV helps to showcase professional work experience. Hence, when you sit down wondering how to write a CV, you need to have this focus clear in your head and structure your CV accordingly. One important thing that you could do is write a rough draft and make someone read it from a neutral perspective. This will give you an idea of how engaging your CV is.

Hope these tips would come in handy and resolve most of the queries on how to write a CV for job. So now that you are well-equipped, get down to business!