Intro : Ask yourself the right questions

Before you hit the 'submit' button on your job application, pause and consider the following:

Though these questions may seem daunting, the answers are usually pretty consistent. Here’s the lowdown:

  1. Your application is most likely to land on the desk of a recruiter, and possibly even the hiring manager.
  2. On average, a recruiter spend 15 seconds to 1 min evaluating your profile, which includes your CV and cover letter. This isn't a sign of indifference; it's simply the reality of the recruiting process. As an example, at Pennylane we received 8170 applications in 2022. And it’s absolutely nothing compared to companies that are bigger, have been around for longer and are particularly attractive on the market. But even at our level, if we were to spend more than 1 minute on each resume, I let you imagine (or calculate) the time-consuming nature of this activity.
  3. Expectations will obviously vary depending on the position, but in that short lap of time they’ll spend on your profile, they’ll try to determine if you validate some core criteria : Relevant experiences, motivation, culture fit, potential and communication.

—> Make sure that those core points are easily identifiable in your application.

Tips for a Stellar CV

Do’s

I know it might be counter intuitive, but hear me out. Choose a format that is easily readable, with a standard template. Unless you’re applying to be a creative designer or an artistic director, you will not be judged on the form of your CV, but rather on the content (and even then, designers are judged on their portfolio, not really on how original their CV look). There are some free templates on Canvas that are perfectly adequate.

Today, many recruiters actually prefer to use the Linkedin of candidates for a good reason : it has a unique format. We know exactly where to look when checking the background, the experiences or the skills of a candidate. So if your resume is following a standard format, you’ll avoid giving the recruiter a headache and you’ll share your information more efficiently.