When applying for a job, the intention is to win; be the best among all other applicants.
To answer this question, we must understand the question itself. What do recruiters look for in a resume at first glance? When applying for a job, the intention is to win; be the best among all other applicants. This requires you to know the areas recruiters first look at when scanning through your CV in order to come up with an impressive one. Use this guide to help you take the lead!
Structure/ format.
No doubt, your resume format is the first thing on sight. A recruiter may choose to ignore this if there is a set priority. Your format must be neat and free from colour riot and should present the contents of a resume without cluttering. To escape format dead end, a resume should be presented with a good font, bold sections and easy navigation and within 1 to 2 pages except for curriculum vitae which could be as long as 10 pages. Setting priorities on the format of a resume are very rare but can be set by a recruiter’s ongoing experience. Your structure could help a recruiter decide if your resume is worth reviewing. A resume has no default format.
Identity/ contact
This comprises of your name, address, online presence, mobile number and job application title. A recruiter whose first priority is to check for identity will trash up a resume without one at first glance. A recruiter who is more concern about location will ignore resumes outside the accepted radius not to mention those without identity. Your identity should be at the top of your resume aligned with the job application title. If a recruiter cannot tell the position you’re applying for from your resume the trash bin will be welcoming.
Objectives
Some say ‘career objective’ is outdated but I disagree. Career Objective is a predefined question on a resume: Why do you want to work with us? Career Objective is trickiest in a part-time or interim job. A recruiter who is concerned about your career objective will want a candid answer and one that is related to the job type and position. Career Objective has been watered down so much that job seekers just copy and paste anything they deem fit. If you don’t know what to write, then skip that part but to your own detriment. Your career object is your first selling point.
This article has been condensed and edited. The original version, on Father Prada appears here and was contributed to our blog by Fatherprada.
