Are you a new hiring manager? And, the art of reviewing resumes is not your thing at the moment? Looking for tips to help you read resumes effectively and find the best candidate? If so, we have a few pieces of advice for you that will help.
Create A Framework
Even if you’ve crafted a detailed candidate profile and job description, it’s likely to receive applications that don’t meet the criteria. To separate the wheat from the chaff, you need to create a checklist of skills, education, and experience that are absolute requirements for the role.
You must have a framework, whether in-house, remote, or hybrid position. A framework will help you effectively sort the CVs into the stacks of no, yes, and maybe. Once you sort that out, you can dig further to more filters.
You may also use software like ATS. It helps organize all resumes received for each position. The software allows screens of the CVs through knockout questions and keyword matches. However, it does come with some weaknesses. So, you cannot rely on it.
Watch Out For Red Flags
Not every resume is as perfect as it should be. Some of them have warning signs of potential issues that are likely to outweigh the capacity and experience of a candidate. These red flags include:
- Unexplained employment gaps: when reviewing a candidate’s work history, check if there are long breaks between different jobs. Sometimes, these gaps have a reasonable explanation. In such cases, the applicants are always willing to explain. But, sometimes, candidates opt for cheap resumes online and don’t bother explaining their work history to the writer. It is where they go wrong. When the writer does not have clarity, the resume may be incomplete or incompetent.
- Excessive job-hopping: Again, there could be a good reason for job hopping, but many jobs in a short span could indicate a lack of commitment.
- Static career: a work history with no increase in authority could indicate a lack of drive or motivation.
- Over-emphasis on personal attributes: a few soft skills and relevant attributes could make an applicant stand out. But, CVs that emphasize personal interests too much indicate the candidate is only looking to fill space. It could also happen when candidates opt for some affordable resume writing services and do not give them meaningful information. In that case, a resume writer has to fill the space.
Pay Attention To The Small Details
Great candidates don’t just describe their duties; they include examples of how they added value as employees. They always prioritize their achievements over responsibilities. They don’t just tell; they show how they managed to do a role effectively; how their contribution impacted the company, such as:
- Increased sales by 13%.
- Saved money by negotiating discounts with vendors.
Remember, great candidates who opt for reliable and best cheap resume writing services work together with the resume writer. They make sure their resumes are a true reflection of them, even when written by someone else.
So, when reviewing the CVs, don’t settle for the ones that are heavy on the keywords yet short on the particulars.
Keep The Word Choice In Mind
Some applicants use vague language to mask a lack of skills and experience. Using phrases like ‘familiar with’ and ‘was a part of’ can induce more questions in your mind.
Also, pay attention to buzzwords and jargon that may make an applicant sound smart. But, these words may also be used to cover up a lack of experience or skills. Someone who was a part of a team must have played a significant role. They must have the accomplishment to share even as a team.
Look For Tailored Content
While going through a resume and a cover letter, you can easily tell if it’s generic. If it sounds generic, the candidate will likely send the same resume to various employers.
Often, job seekers look for resume writing services under $100 to get their resumes and cover letters written. They give the basic information to the resume writer and get a perfectly formatted resume in return. And, they use the same document for every employer without tweaking and tailoring it.
Remember, serious and competent candidates make an effort to customize their resumes. They make sure their qualifications and skills are relevant to the job description. Thereby, when reviewing CVs, look for those created with that particular job vacancy in mind.
All in all, you need to have a specific framework in mind when reviewing resumes and cover letters. But, candidates can be smart enough to pass your initial review even if they aren’t the right fit. So, keep the tips mentioned above in mind to find the best candidate for the job.
Eric is a technical writer that has expertise in all niches from art and lifestyle to high-end technologies. She used to write about the changing landscape of business technologies and updates that could contribute to business growth and success. Her vision is to motivate the audience with her deep research on contemporary tech topics.
