How to win over a potential employee in 7.6 seconds

28 April 2020 Virginia Brookes

Businessman Reading Resume On Office Desk 859833350 5ad0102318ba0100372d1d06

Have you found yourself out of work due to Covid-19 and not sure where to start with your job search? Start by taking the time to refresh your CV before hitting the job boards!

Studies show that hiring managers spend an average of just 7.6 seconds on each job application and with the increasing demand for employment, it is imperative that you spend the time making sure your CV is up to date and relevant.

Here are some of Temp Talent’s top tips to produce a killer CV! 

Format and style – The format of your resume should be clear, consistent and easy to read. Use one or two fonts and include clear headers, paragraphs and bullet points. We also recommend keeping your CV to 3 pages maximum.

Double check that your resume has perfect spelling and grammar throughout before sending and even better, have a friend or family member check over it too.

Personal Details – Your personal details including your first and last name, address (or at least suburb), mobile number and email should be clearly outlined at the top of your CV. There is no need to get fancy with this, you want to make it as easy as possible for the hiring manager/recruiter to pick up the phone and call you.

Career Objective/Summary – If you are a recent university graduate or school leaver without much professional experience, you might like to begin your resume with a career objective. If you are a more experienced professional who has been in the workforce for some time, you may opt for a Career Summary that briefly describes your professional profile. Again, clear and concise always is best practice.

Work Experience – Your work experience must be listed in reverse chronological order i.e. your most recent role up the top, followed by the position before that and so on. Each section should clearly state the company name and location, your position(s) at the company, the dates worked in the format of ‘Month/Year’ to ‘Month/Year’ with between 5-15 sharp bullet points on the duties of each role. Studies show that action words work best when describing your duties so for example, “Manage the front desk” rather than “Managed” or “Managing.”

It is also important not to leave any roles off your CV as you can be assured you’ll be found out when the employer or recruiter calls for references checks, or checks out your LinkedIn profile!

Education and Qualifications- List your most recent educational accomplishments first, be sure to include your qualifications, the institution it was completed at and the graduation dates. If you have achieved any special awards be sure to mention these here too.

Additional Information- Create headings such as “Strengths”, “Skills “or “Interests” and list key competencies that would be relevant to the position you are applying for. Information that shows your proficiency in computer programs, languages or any other knowledge should be listed here.

References- References can be listed at the bottom of your resume and should include the full name, position, phone and email address of the referee. Alternatively, you may wish to write “References available upon request” in which the employer will request details later in the application process. Most companies will only accept references from a direct managerial report so be prepared for this, and always contact your referee to request permission or let them know that you’ve passed on their details.

 

Remember that your CV is your biggest tool when marketing yourself in the job market so take the time to make sure each application is relevant according to the job posting. It may just see you beat that 7.6 second average!

 

Contact Temp Talent for more tips and advice on CV-writing – (02) 9966 4211