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What to look for in a CV
Recruiting new staff can be a difficult task, and in the current economic climate you may find that your vacancies are attracting more candidates than ever before as the number of job seekers on the market increases. So how do you know you are getting the right person for the job and what is the best way to filter through those CVs before inviting candidates for interview.
Here is a quick check list you can use to make your job easier, and whilst there is no cut and dry formula for making sure you invite the right person for interview, you can reduce your chances of wasting time by asking yourself the following questions as you look through CVs.
- Do they meet my “must have” criteria. Before sorting through your pile of CVs, and even before you advertise the vacancy, have a checklist of "must-haves," those attributes the applicant must have at a basic minimum.
- Education – what level they attained, degrees, professional training, quality of university. This can also be important if they are highly qualified and applying for a junior role. Ask yourself, will they get bored too easily, will the role challenge them enough?
- What relevant experience do they have? – remember to assess both experience with specifics of the job: model of machine, particular software package, type of selling and experience of a more general nature, such as supervisory experience, dealing with customers, working in a particular industry, managing projects.
- Dates -- look for unexplained periods of time. A few months here or there may mean the person was unemployed, but longer unexplained periods, or multiple periods, may suggest something else, such as jobs the person had that did not work out that the applicant doesn't want you to know about.
- Length of time with organization -- while job hopping has become more commonplace, and even expected, depending on the industry, it is usually a plus when someone stays for a long time with an organisation. It shows loyalty.
- Job responsibilities and achievements -- beware of resumes filled with vague responsibilities and claims. The words, "supervisory experience" don't tell you nearly as much as: "Supervised seven employees. Responsible for hiring them, providing their job performance reviews, giving assignments and monitoring results." Always look for specific, quantified examples of achievements.
- Corporate environment – consider the types of companies the applicant ha worked for previously in terms of size, structure and nature of business and ask yourself whether the corporate culture of your company would be difficult for them to adapt to given their previous working history.
- Career path – has the applicant shown a continued career path and taken on extra studies to achieve this. Do they take on extra responsibilities and have a flexible attitude to their work? Have they worked their way from the bottom up and would this help them in the position they’re being considered for?
- Have they travelled? – travelling broadens the mind and creates life experiences that can add value to a person as an employee.
- Are they telling the truth? – it is not possible to tell whether an applicant has lied just by looking at their CV, but Flexible skills Bank has a special deal with a company called CV Insight, that will run checks, take up references and ensure that everything a candidate has put on their CV, can be validated. Ask about our special rates for Flexible Skills Bank customers.
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- Buy a link to your website for just £5 for one month. Promote your company to other business owners.
- Link to your website here.
- Buy a link to your website for just £5 for one month. Promote your company to other business owners.
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