The CV that flows on and on…

 

A recruiter spends about 20 seconds reading one CV. That is why a CV should never resemble a novel about your work life. Go right to the essentials that highlight your skills. The goal: to make the read as easy as possible.

You must always remember that an employer receives a lot of CVs and has little time to give to each one. A poorly presented CV containing long paragraphs will seem too tedious and will discourage the reader from wanting to read it. Therefore you must learn to be concise so as not to drown the vital information in an overly detailed account. A CV should give the essential information about your experience and the position you are looking for. It is in the cover letter that you will have a chance to add some details.

 

A CV that is too long can be detrimental

 

A lack of conciseness gives the impression that you are not able to synthesize information and deliver it with precision. You must select the essential elements of your career path and make them stand out so that the reader can see them when skimming through your CV. “I generally sort out CVs at a glance,” says Christopher Livingstone of the recruitment firm Proforce Personnel. “And what interests me is the vertical line of the career profile. I need to quickly find the positions occupied and a concise description of the tasks that the candidate is capable of executing.” 

By saying too much, you may give the impression that you don’t really know what you want to do. You must distill the information judiciously and keep some elements in reserve for the interview.