Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as an increasing number of companies let go of their workers, it has become difficult for people to find job opportunities. And while resumes come in all shapes and sizes, it is becoming increasingly harder to stand out amid dozens of competitors. Thus, even as Zomato's biryani CV is lauded by thousands, yours (for an actual job) may have wound up in the rejection pile.
So, are you doing anything wrong? While there is probably no 'perfectly right' CV, there are a few errors that most seem to be making. And on Wednesday, one Twitter user took to the microblogging site to elaborate further on why she had rejected more than 20 resumes in a single day.
"Today I went through 20+ resumes to shortlist candidates for a position we are seeking to fill. And I shortlisted exactly 1," begins the Twitter thread. The user, a writer and journalist, is the head of content at vue.ai.
The ideal resume, she says, should be a page long, and have details that pertain to the job profile and why the applicant should be hired. As she put it, "This is a job application, not a roadies audition".
"These are hard times....for all of us. Getting hired has never been more difficult, so don't make it harder. Your resume is the first impression you make on your potential new boss so make sure it's a good one," she adds.
And while keeping it succinct is always a good idea, the points themselves should be of import to the recruiter. And if one must send links to work samples, well it goes without saying that these links should first be checked to ensure that they are view-able.
"If you want to talk about what you did in your job, talk about the IMPACT you made during your time there. I saw a resume that basically had Content Strategy, Content Creation and Brand Building as bullet points. What am I supposed to infer? That you are good with subheadings?" she asks.
"Don't write down tasks. Speak in outcomes. "Managed social media" is a task. "Increased social community by 5X" is an outcome. Outcomes are far more powerful than tasks," she clarifies.
