Unlike the last time where I had our HR person sort out a spreadsheet for me from the CV/Resumes we received for our Design team, I took on the task myself this year and I am not using a spreadsheet yet. The situation is a bit different this time, where we really want to pick people who will show leadership from the start, unlike last time where we had planned to train people up.
Personality
Its unusual to see many CVs where the personality of an applicant is showing through, or showing through in a good light. I am looking for a spark from a piece of paper and in some cases, it was very apparent, and to achieve that, the formatting: the choice of types, colors and layout, and the choice of words can go a long way.
Formatting
For some time now, I was wondering why no one tries to make a CV that breaks the mold of the black on white, tables and grids, and this time around we received one which did so. Using colors and watermarks, and styles derived from Web 2.0, that applicant made an impression on me. I could criticize the overall design, like the use of the applicant's face outline as a watermark and other things, but, seeing the attempt was enough to make me think this one might be someone worth paying attention to.
Words
One obvious issue is the really poor choice of words and typos. It can start from not modifying the "Objective" section of your CV from the first time you made it, so that when you apply for a web development team, your objective doesn't say you'd like to cure cancer with robotics. Other people, partly due to the cultural traditions possibly, include too much in their "Personal" section - e.g. - "Height: 5 fit" (yes, 'fit'!). The worst typo however is CAREER spelled as CARRIER. Another application said "Expected Salary: Handsome", which I didn't know what to make of. Do I get a handsome salary, or does my boss? Does this applicant deserve the same?
Focus
One applicant however impressed us in this regard. This particular applicant's list of experiences and expertise had all the keywords that I had in mind. Whether this applicant actually made the effort to understand what the team does and what we're looking for, I can't say for sure, but I would be pressed to believe it was so! On top of that, there was a very confident smiling photo, where usually I am looking at the grim expressions and awkward head positions of passport photographs. I don't know if a standard was set for CVs to include photographs, but I don't think those passport ones really work.
All in all, my work is not done yet. Next comes the interviews and tests to make sure they're the right people, the right fit for the team. Wish me luck!
Personality
Its unusual to see many CVs where the personality of an applicant is showing through, or showing through in a good light. I am looking for a spark from a piece of paper and in some cases, it was very apparent, and to achieve that, the formatting: the choice of types, colors and layout, and the choice of words can go a long way.
Formatting
For some time now, I was wondering why no one tries to make a CV that breaks the mold of the black on white, tables and grids, and this time around we received one which did so. Using colors and watermarks, and styles derived from Web 2.0, that applicant made an impression on me. I could criticize the overall design, like the use of the applicant's face outline as a watermark and other things, but, seeing the attempt was enough to make me think this one might be someone worth paying attention to.
Words
One obvious issue is the really poor choice of words and typos. It can start from not modifying the "Objective" section of your CV from the first time you made it, so that when you apply for a web development team, your objective doesn't say you'd like to cure cancer with robotics. Other people, partly due to the cultural traditions possibly, include too much in their "Personal" section - e.g. - "Height: 5 fit" (yes, 'fit'!). The worst typo however is CAREER spelled as CARRIER. Another application said "Expected Salary: Handsome", which I didn't know what to make of. Do I get a handsome salary, or does my boss? Does this applicant deserve the same?
Focus
One applicant however impressed us in this regard. This particular applicant's list of experiences and expertise had all the keywords that I had in mind. Whether this applicant actually made the effort to understand what the team does and what we're looking for, I can't say for sure, but I would be pressed to believe it was so! On top of that, there was a very confident smiling photo, where usually I am looking at the grim expressions and awkward head positions of passport photographs. I don't know if a standard was set for CVs to include photographs, but I don't think those passport ones really work.
All in all, my work is not done yet. Next comes the interviews and tests to make sure they're the right people, the right fit for the team. Wish me luck!
tips
- Check your application time and again to make sure you are covering all the bases.
- Have a template, but modify it for an application to address their requirements
- Its worthwhile to have a few people you know are good with English, to review your CV before sending it out
- Spell check!
- Spend some time on the formatting to create a readable and impressive CV
