What makes a recruiter check out your CV or trash it? Of course, it’s how much they like it at first glance. Your CV must be ‘sexy’. Sexy CVs are succinct, specific, and don’t carry unnecessary baggage. If you want a more noticeable executive-level CV, you’d better think about how to make it sexy.
A professional CV writer can help you to trim some of these items that make it not very attractive.
A photo and Personal stuff
Too much detail in your personal information, like age, full home address (including the street, and mailing address), and a photo were a hit in the past. But that’s so 20th Century now. No one needs to have all their personal information on their resume. Besides, it could create some security concerns.
Instead of wasting precious space with your details, or a photo, include a link to your LinkedIn profile. If you think that your LinkedIn profile wouldn’t do a good job of selling you, reach out to a professional CV writer and get it fixed.
Irrelevant or lengthy descriptions of your work experiences
Generic CVs, especially at the executive level, are not sexy at all. They contain irrelevant information, and vague achievements, often requiring lengthy explanations. That’s a waste of space and the recruiter’s time.
Each time you want to send your CV to a prospective employer or recruiter, make sure it is tailored for the job.
First, do some homework about the role and the organization. Then work with a professional CV writer to help you include only the relevant work experiences, skills, and specific, quantifiable achievements.
Formatting Inconsistencies
Inconsistencies in the formatting, too many bullets, or too much text will be a turn-off.
You may be thinking that this is probably not one of your weaknesses. But, many executives (and aspiring ones) often have a hard time fitting all their experiences and achievements in a two-page document and still keep it looking fabulous. Many tend to squeeze in information, reduce the line spacing, or put too many bullet points.
Reach out to a professional CV writer. They are like make-up artists. They know what to do, where to add some touch-ups, where to trim, and how to make your CV look fabulous.
Buzzwords
Don’t clog your CV with annoying buzzwords such as go-getter, out-of-the-box thinker, strategic thinker, people pleaser, passionate worker, and so on.
Recruiters hate it so much that they recommend the same for their peers. According to Maria Ignatova of LinkedIn, recruiters too should avoid overused buzzwords.
Instead of using buzzwords to try and impress, consider a different approach. Use action-oriented words to highlight specific instances where you lived the prospective company’s values. Verbs such as managed, resolved, and increased will catch the eye of a recruiter.
References
Providing references on your CV is a waste of space. No one needs them at the prospecting stage. However, after making it through for the interview, you may need them. Besides, your LinkedIn profile should give potential recruiters sufficient information about your professional associations.
Here’s the bottom line, for your CV to be noticed, it must be eye-catching and attractive. For recruiters, sexy means plenty of white space, concise information, no buzzwords, and neat presentation. Reach out to a professional CV writer and get this done for your CV.
