Nor do I care if you think you are trustworthy. Or honest.
As a recruiter and hiring manager, I do, however, care if I can tell at first glance that you will be beneficial to my or my clients’ team.
There are certain attributes that all employers quite simply EXPECT.
Honesty
Reliability
Trustworthiness.
Good Timekeeping.
Work well in a team or using own initiative.
I don’t expect people to use these attributes to make them more placeable, as all employees SHOULD be those things – you wouldn’t put ‘ a lousy timekeeper’ on your CV in the same way as you wouldn’t put ‘ prone to outbursts of anger and violence’. Equally useless to sell yourself to your next employer.
The number of CV profiles which simply waste not only the hiring manager’s time, but also YOUR chance of getting a job, never ceases to amaze.
An example – and, lets play a little game. If you can tell what role the below profile is currently performing, you can have a toffee. Free. Gratis.
“ A highly motivated individual who works well in a team and on my own. I am an excellent timekeeper,
am honest, reliable and trustworthy and am looking for a role that will utilise my skills to the full. I have
worked as a team leader and as an ordinary team member”
Compare it to the excerpt of the profile below
“ With 5 years experience as a Recruitment Consultant in the hospitality sector, I am looking for a move into management,
as I believe the training I have received in my current role has prepared me for that next step.
Comfortable developing business through face to face or telephone based activity, I have continuously hit and exceeded monthly
and annual targets and haven’t missed a bonus for 3 years. I have built up a vast knowledge of the industry and am confident my
networking skills can be utilised to maximise new business opportunity.”
Both these profiles were on CVs of candidates applying to the role of Hospitality Recruitment Manager, obviously!.
I don’t think I need to point out the difference.
1 vacancy advert , 70 applicants profiles to read.
- MOST RECRUITERS WILL HAVE A YES, NO AND MAYBE PILE.
- GET YOURSELF INTO THE YES PILE, OR EVEN MAYBE. JUST DON’T BE A NO.
- ALTER YOUR PROFILE FOR EACH ROLE YOU APPLY FOR.
- BE A BETTER MATCH TO THE VACANCY
- IT’S A SERIOUS BUSINESS, THIS JOBHUNTING, DON’T MAKE YOUR CV A JOKE.
- DON’T FORCE HIRING MANAGERS TO NOT CARE
I have had people say ‘ well they should read my work history’.
I say ‘ Make me. Force me. Leave me with no option BUT to read the rest of your CV by making me aware STRAIGHT AWAY that I need to interview you.’
( but do beware. You cant have a chef’s profile if you have only ever sold chef’s hats.)
