The importance of having a good CV

When there is no media involved, for professionals, it is quite difficult to stand out and show your full career potential to the “World”. You may have very good marketing and sales skills, show off your abilities through LinkedIn and other Social Media, but for technical positions, it is still difficult to differentiate the grain from the chaff. It can even be counterproductive… good presenting skills may be a sign of less-good technical skills. Something to pay attention to.

For artists, sports, cultural, etc. it is way different. Publications, magazines, TV or any other media is just so visual that anybody can judge performance.

By watching matches, and let’s leave big data and metrics aside for a moment, a team can judge if they want to hire a new player or not. You may buy a ticket for a concert if you like a video you watch in Youtube. You may buy a book from an author if you like him/her writing. So one so forth…

On top of that, you may have the chance of accessing interviews somewhere and even judge personality. There is no need of any presentation card for them. Just perform and be seen. Paperless. Done. Not saying it is an easy thing though. Being exposed has a toll.

But what about the “normal” people? If you have a liberal profession like doctor, lawyer, architect or alike, well, by word of mouth, you may gain popularity at local level, and then, via publications and other type of exposure, you may even be known at regional, national or international levels. Your work kind of speaks by yourself.

And now, the rest… let’s say, the big majority. Those who work in companies, where everything is diluted, intentionally or not. The magnitude is so big that despite having good references from former managers and colleagues, it is still difficult to be noted as a potential good employee to a broad audience.

There is nobody filming you in the meantime you are taking a difficult decision to defend the values of your company, or when you are communicating proactively to find a business opportunity, or when you decide to take a step forward to solve a problem despite the headwinds. Or even more, how do you demonstrate your ability in between the lines to perform specific technical activities within quality, time and budget. Mission rather impossible for a CV and an interview. Good luck, both.

This above may sound pessimistic, but it is a reality professionals have to face. So, let’s reflect about what is needed to be shortlisted. Coming back to CV and interview (probably at least two, if not even more), then we have to think about which of the two comes first, and that is your Resume, or Curriculum Vitae (CV). That is your very first presentation card. It is a ticket-to-play, hit it or miss it. You better assure you get it right.

Going a bit further in the analysis, one relevant thing to realize is that the first person that will be evaluating your CV is not a technical peer. Most probably, it will be somebody from Human Resources department, either a recruiter or a talent manager, who has probably limited knowledge about the technical expertise you have.

In consequence, you may recognize the huge inflow of information to be processed from a job application, where you may have dozens, if not hundreds, of CVs to be scanned. And let’s follow with an example: if a Senior Engineer is to be recruited, where at least 6-8 years of experience are required, one way or another, all candidates will have plenty of projects, technical activities and tasks performed for this or that company, for this or that industry, in this or that country. All very powerful knowledge, but, how to differentiate one from the other? Hard, really, even if you are an expert in the matter.

That leads to the main point here. You need to unleash something else, something different, something that makes you stand out from the rest. A recruiter is rather a “human affairs” specialist. That person will be looking for interpersonal or soft skills that provide value on top of your technical expertise. That is what matter at that first screening stage. “Reserve” all your arsenal of technical knowledge for when you have to face an interview with the Hiring Manager or technical peers. And even there, you may not get so deep into technical stuff. Other factors lead.

And how to make that? Well, it could be as simple as to grant some of the following considerations in your resume:

• It should have a nice appearance (visual, readable).

• It should have a good and logical structure.

• It should contain an introduction of yourself with a summary of your highlights and strong points.

• You rather be more schematic than narrative. Do not overdo with job descriptions. Less is more.

• For the main information, do not make it longer than 2 pages. If more information can be presented, attach a document, or differentiate in the same document in an annex or similar.

• Give it a personal edge, by including at the end some personal interests and demonstrated soft skills.

• Rationalize the use of different formats. Their function is to just highlight relevant information and headlines.

• Make sure your CV is Application Tracking System (ATS) compliant, so it can be parsed by software.

Additionally, one point that is important to realize. In order to differentiate, you may be willing to upgrade your technical knowledge with new education or training. And that continuous learning is something essential. But mind that you may expend months or years, hundreds or thousands, to just add one or two sentences into your CV. So, be careful, investing in assuring a resume as described above may be a good shortcut to your next career opportunity. Keep that in perspective.

In the end, how would you go to a first date? You would care about the details, tidy up and show the utmost version of yourself, right? This is just the same. Give your best to be loved.

Ignacio Vilas Eguileta

zenotalent Owner & Founder