8 things which recruiters don't look for in consulting CVs
When a recruiter meets a potential (new) consultant, they know nothing about you except your curriculum vitae (CV). While every skill may polish one’s personality, it need not polish your profile. HR staff are looking for CV’s that are well crafted and present an insightful overview of the skills that are most relevant for the job profile. So what are the things that are completely ignored by the recruiters? An overview of eight things that recruiters in the consulting industry do not bother about while scanning CV’s.
1. Cliché objective
In every CV you will definitely find the objective of the applicant. HR recruiters do not really read the cliché objective picked up from an online source. Especially if your objective is not practical and seems to be far-fetched, it is completely avoided by the recruiters. The most apt objective for your CV will be the one that is tailored as per the job profile you are applying for. Unless your objective matches the job profile and its demands, it is not consulted by the recruiters.
2. Basic computer skills
In the world where nothing functions without technology, every recruiter expects their applicant to hold basic computer skills. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel are part of the basic computer skills. For example, if you are an engineer applying for a job of front end developer then these skills are certainly irrelevant. Such skills when added to the CV are considered to be as fluff. And this is one of the reason that why only 2% of the applicants are usually called for an interview after aggressive CV scanning.
Make sure these skills are completely eliminated from your CV if you are applying for a (more senior) job in management consulting.
3. Soft skill set
Now although these are one of the most important skills, stating them out loud will not be helpful. Of course recruiters do consider soft skills like communication, leadership and management qualities. But highlighting the skills as being a “Good communicator” will definitely not be helpful. Every recruiter is looking out for live examples or events where you displayed your soft skills. For example – “Executive Head of a college event”, this wording will be much more valuable than directly writing about your leadership qualities.
4. Languages you know
If you are applying for a job that would require oratory skills, the recruiter might consider the number of languages and the fluency you speak with. Other than this for a technical job, the number of languages an applicant know are not really considered. So if you have learned the basics of French language while you were in high school – this is not going to help you to land to a job. These are not the essential things a recruiter looks for while they are hiring. So add only if you feel it will be relevant to the job profile.
5. Unnecessary information
By reading about your hobbies, recruiters can gauge a lot about your personality. However, elaborating about all of your hobbies will not be useful. Mention a few of the hobbies which will display your soft skills and will be relevant for the job profile as well. Do not mention explicitly about your adventurous treks and experiences, recruiters are not interested in it.
6. Outdated skill set
With continuous advancement in technology, there are skills sets which have become outdated. So if you for instance had an amazing speed on a type writer, it really doesn’t matter to the recruiter in today’s digital era. Recruiters are looking for people who are adaptable and flexible, organisations want to invest in labour who are competent enough. So even if you are well versed with a coding language which no longer is mainstream, leave it out of your CV as it is likely to be overlooked by the recruiters.
7. Your Home address
Recruiters are not going to consider your exact home address before they hire you. Only if you are an immigrant, or proximity to work is pointed out as a key factor, then this could be considered. So home addresses need not be mentioned on your CV.
8. Font
A stylish font is not going to fetch you a job. So if you use italic or normal font it doesn’t really matter. However, using a font which will make your CV more readable is advised. Calibri and Verdana are standard fonts which are commonly used for CV’s.
When you are applying for a job remember your CV speaks for you! So make sure that when you prepare your resume, it does not contain unnecessary information. HR recruiters are not looking for glossy skills – they want people with real apt skills to do the job.
About the author: Jasika Adams is a writer with an interest in human resources, startups, emerging technologies and business management.
Related: 9 tips to help prepare for a consulting case interview.
