You’ve sent your CV off for a gazillion jobs and you’ve had an equal amount of automated responses. Something tells you humankind is overlooking your job applications. Why? Speaking strictly off the record, recruiters reveal the reasons why they delete your resume without a millisecond’s hesitation.
1. It’s written in the third person
Recruiters hate this. Don’t say, “John is a top ranked equity researcher” if you’re referring to yourself.
2. You’re qualified to be a binman but you’re applying to be a rocket scientist
This is a big thing too. “We get a lot of people who are shelf stackers but who want to be traders,” says one finance recruiter.
3. It’s in a weird format
Recruiters convert your CV into their own format. If it’s weirdly format, you’re making their lives hard. “We had a resume in Excel once,” one recruiter recalls.
4. It’s a manuscript
They’re not going to read it if it’s 8 pages long. Finance resumes are one or two pages max.
5. Your photo is weird
Don’t send a holiday photo or a photo of you kissing your dog. Recruiters say they also haven’t bothered with CVs where photos are very large and upside down.
6. Your personal statement bears no resemblance to the job you’re applying to
It’s no good saying you want to work in M&A if your personal statement says you want to work in equity sales. This happens.