What do recruiters want from a resume?
We asked a few recruiters what they like and what their pet peeves are, when it comes to resumes. Here’s what they had to say.
What they look for in a resume:
“It has to do with whether the person has progressive career development along the way. Is there career growth, what type of projects and assignments did they handle. Will they fit the job they are applying for”
“Appearance – should be sharp, readable, easy to skim, clean and no gaps”
“If the content tells me quickly – “What makes this person stand out”
“Does the candidate match the title, functional area and industry for the job in questions. It might be directly or peripherally, i.e. a related industry or function but should not be too far off. Then I will look for some sort of continuity in the resume”
“What I look for is a summary of qualifications or key skills. I then look to see if there has been a progression in terms of taking on responsibility. I also like to see resumes that are customised to the job – what results and responsibilities do they have which are relevant for the job.”
“I like to see a chronological resume. It just follows progression better and is easier to use”
“Is there a basic match between the candidate and the job specification. The candidate doesn’t have to meet all criteria exactly but some basic things like language requirement must be met. People often ignore even such a basic requirement and apply anyway”
What their pet peeves are:
“The functional resume. From a recruiters perspective we are typically trained to throw out the functional resume. Its just more work because we then need to look for an explain the gaps. If you’re using functional its needs to be presented very well”
“The functional resume is fine but I like the chronological resume. It clearly shows me dates, data/facts, numbers, progression and results in proper order”
“Spelling mistakes and other grammatical errors”
“Too much information, provided in paragraph format which I can’t decipher. I just won’t waste my time with it”
“Not enough white space on the resume”
“Listing too many hobbies. Bragging too much, mentioning salary expectations, too much or too little information”
“Not telling me anything about the company the worked for. I don’t know what ABC company on their resume does”
“Just listing a bunch of accomplishments without any results or context.” For example – “Implemented an ERP system”
“Attaching a cover letter without showing any knowledge of the company they are applying to and why they are a good fit for the job”
“I want a cover letter. No cover letter -> no interview”
“Not providing a link between what you state in your cover letter & what is included in your resume”
“I like to see resumes customised to the company/job”
“Generic resumes are of little value, as compared to a resumes which provide information targeted to the job”
Source: Sandbox Advisors
Extremely useful tips that one can keep in mind while writing one’s resume. Thanks!