As a hiring manager, I sift through hundreds of CVs for each job posting. It’s surprising to see so many struggling with the basics—often misled by outdated advice from various HR blogs.
Your CV has mere seconds to get noticed. On top of that, bear in mind that most hiring managers use hiring software that will generate a preview of your CV which will make it look even worse. When these are used on a mobile phone, the preview is even worse.
Here are the top 5 things I want to see in your CV in 5 seconds:
- Your last/current position visible above the fold (upper half of the front page)
- Relevant work experience (for experienced professional)
- Your name (Avoid other PII details like marital status, phone number, even photos)
- Link to your LinkedIn profile
- Use nicely designed template
I would strongly advise against using CV templates like Europa CV, as they are insanely complicated. Spend some time making sure you stand out, don’t use some bland template everyone uses.
Here is how your CV might look inside a talent management tool. This sample is from Novoresume.
Make sure important information is above the fold so you can stand out!
