The quest for the ‘perfect’ resume

The quest for the ‘perfect’ Resume

• Resume.
• Curriculum Vitae.
• CV.

Whatever you call it, a resume should be the entrée to the main – it should be interesting and leave the viewer wanting to find out more about you, leading to a phone screening or invitation for interview. The aim is to stand out above the rest – if your resume is long, not clear, not concise in content, or holds no relevance to the role – then the viewer will move onto the next application.

Further, you may be unconsciously disadvantaging your application by providing information that can trigger a negative bias response in the reader.

A competent, experienced recruiter knows a resume is just a means to an end. As a stand-alone assessment tool, the resume is a highly ineffective predictor of performance in the selection process. A competent, experienced recruiter should also be able to read between the lines, identify transferable skills and prevent biases from unfairly influencing the recruitment process. But as in all professions, not all recruiters are created equal, and not all hiring decisions are made by competent, experienced recruiters.

To help your resume rise to the top of the pile and ensure a more equitable hiring process, consider these recommendations*:

• Brevity is key: ideally your CV should be no longer than two pages, three at a push. No need to include detailed work experience from more than 15 years ago.
• Remove personal information: exclude details like your name, gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, and photograph to minimise unconscious bias.
• Use a gender-neutral job title: if you’ve held positions with gender-specific titles (e.g., chairman, saleswoman), replace them with gender-neutral equivalents (e.g., chairperson, salesperson).
• Put first things first: great advice, Stephen R. Covey. Does the role require a qualification that you possess? Bump the Education section to the top. No quals required? It might be more effective to dive right into the professional experiences you bring to the table.
• Focus on skills and accomplishments: emphasise your relevant skills, experiences, and achievements rather than personal characteristics or affiliations.
• Use neutral language: avoid gendered or biased language in your descriptions. For example, replace “he/she” with “they” and avoid terms like “aggressive” or “assertive” that may be perceived differently based on gender.
• Quantify results: use numbers and metrics to demonstrate your accomplishments objectively. This can help emphasise your performance and reduce potential bias.
• Standardise formatting: use a simple, professional format and consistent font throughout your resume. Avoid using decorative elements, colours, or designs that may inadvertently signal your gender or other personal characteristics.
• Remove hobbies and interests: unless specifically valuable to the position, avoid listing hobbies or interests that may reveal your age, gender, ethnicity, or other personal information.
• Review your education: if your educational background includes affiliations with organisations or clubs that may reveal your demographic information, consider removing those details and dates.
• Omit religious or political affiliations: unless directly relevant to the job, avoid mentioning any religious or political affiliations to minimise potential bias.

Here, we provide you with a sample resume, a ‘How to…’ if you like. We hope it helps.

*Like all things, this advice is general in nature and not all recommendations need to be prescribed to. You, like the individuals who will review your resume, are a unique person with talents unlike any other. So, take all this advice with a grain of salt; pick and choose what you think is relevant for you, and seek out advice specific for your experience and the roles you are applying for. Remember, someone, somewhere is desperately searching to find your particular combination of amazing. It’s your job to make it easier for them to recognise you when they see your CV.

 

SAMPLE:

CURRICULUM VITAE  – Preferred Name

 

Salutation/Pronoun: (if desired)              XXXXX XXXXX

Legal name: xxxxxxxx                   (if different from preferred name above)

Email: XXXXXXX 

Mobile: XXXXXXX 

LinkedIn.com/in/XXXXXXX 

 Career Summary: 

NB: A summary statement is a one- to two-sentence professional introduction that you can add at the top of your resume to highlight your most valuable skills and experiences. The resume summary can help employers quickly learn whether you have the skills and background they require. 

Example: Recruitment professional who has built expertise across temporary, and permanent, recruitment strategy and design. I am committed to service excellence, believing this is paramount to successful business partnerships and the organisation’s strategic, sustainable growth.  

Employment History: 

Month / Year – Month / Year (or “to current”)                                             Role title: xxxxxxxxx

Organisation name: (brief sentence about the organisation) – you can include their website address if you wish. 

Responsibilities:

NB: Responsibilities define the outcomes that you were expected to achieve. State in bullet points, 3 or 4 KEY tasks. 

Example:

• To increase revenue by 10% through developing innovative marketing campaigns and managing client relationships
• To Lead and mentor a team of marketing and sales associates, enhancing productivity levels and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 15%
• Reduce operating costs by identifying new vendors and negotiating better terms for office supplies and equipment.

 

Key achievements: 

NB: Professional achievements are objectives or results that you have achieved – be it a challenge overcome, a task successfully completed, or an exceptional project outcome.  

Example: 

• Under my leadership, the SASS product was released in four months from concept to launch, benefitting customers by ~ 65% uptake on product launch and company profitability increase by 89%
• Recognised as “Employee of the Month” twice for outstanding performance and strong work ethic
• Secured funding grant resulting in a 50% increase in funding for community programs.

Other career highlights:

 Example:

• NZ Post Group (Auckland) – Administrator
• Plan Power Consulting Melbourne – Project Manager

 

Education: 

NB: if the role has a mandatory or preferred qualification you possess, change the order of your CV to list Education before Experience

• University of XXX – Bachelor of XXX

Professional Training:

Example:

Effective Business Negotiation – Certificate  Foundations of Human Resources  Diversity in the modern workplace

Targeted Selection Certification            Project Management Principles         Confident Communication – Certificate

Skills:

NB: Your skills section should highlight your specific skills that relate directly to the role you’re applying for. Include both hard (ie, WHAT you can do: specific task or job function competencies) and soft skills (ie as a person HOW you behave and interact)

Example:

Excellent communication (verbal and written) skills Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities

Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Adobe Photoshop Familiarity with a variety of software tools and systems, including CRM and HRIS

Referees: 

Provided on request 

Recommendations: linkedIn.com/in/XXXXXXX  

NB: We highly recommend that you request recommendations on LinkedIn from former employers, clients, team leaders – you can view and accept the recommendations, and these remain on your profile.