14 Numbers You Need to See in Your Candidates CV

14 Numbers You Need to See in Your Candidates CV When assessing a candidate’s suitability for your vacancies, it’s vital to see facts and figures throughout their CV. Numbers provide scale, context and give you a much greater understanding of candidate capabilities â€" without them, many statements can be left open to interpretation. For example, two different candidates could list “team leadership” as a skill on their CV and appear identical. But if one of those candidates is managing a 2 person team and the other is managing a 200 person team, then they are clearly not suitable for the same roles. Accompanying claims with numbers in this fashion gives candidates a much more accurate description of their work and quantifies the impact they make. They also allow you a direct comparison method when making final decisions on forwarding candidate to roles. In cases where you suspect a candidate is strong but their CV is lacking the figures to back it up, you must quiz them on their numbers and ensure the CV is updated accordingly. These types of metrics are vital to employers and they should always be visible in a CV before being put in front of a client or hiring manager. Finances Most companies are in business to make money, and even non-profit organisations require a healthy bank balance to run efficiently. If you want a meaningful measure of a candidate’s success, looking at their contributions to company finances is a good place to start. Do they manage a budget? Budgetary responsibility is a positive sign and the size of said budget will give you an indication of the candidate’s seniority. Have they saved any costs? Any initiatives that a candidate has led or supported to cut company spending will always be looked upon favourably, especially large amounts over long time periods. Have they generated any revenue? This is not just a signal for sales or marketing candidates. Any activity that a has contributed to company earnings is a viable benefit to an employer. Time Time is a hugely valuable resource to companies and individuals alike. If a candidate can demonstrate their ability to use time wisely, it should be seen as a resourceful trait. Can they commit? Good candidates generally tend to stay with employers for long time periods and commit themselves to projects through to completion. Can they save time? Anything change that can be brought about to save a company’s resource time is a massive selling point. If a candidate has implemented process or policy changes that have led to faster and more efficient ways of working, they should certainly be looked upon favourably. Can they meet deadlines? A successful organisation relies on a team of staff who get things done on time. If a candidate can show quantified examples of delivering ahead of schedule, that’s even better. Locations The geographical span of a candidate’s work shows exactly how far their impact spreads physically. Numerical location signals within a CV provide a better understanding of the scale of a candidate’s work. How far does their work reach? A candidate could have their work focused solely in one city to concentrate on a particular market, or they may work across multiple regions to cover a large client base. Neither of these are better than the other, but they could affect suitability for certain roles. Do they manage multiple sites/offices? A candidate who is managing one location for their employer will be at a very different seniority level to a candidate who is managing twenty. Ensure that these numbers match with hiring manager expectations. Size Size related statistics are good indicators of a person’s contribution in the workplace. Often bigger numbers will demonstrate a bigger impact, but this will depend on the role requirements. Have they worked on big projects? In order to know where you can place a candidate, it’s crucial to know the types of environments they have worked in, and metrics are a great way to convey this. Look out for signs on project or operations monetary value, number of people affected by their work or value of change delivered. How big is the team they work in or lead? It’s important to understand whether a candidate works within a small team, or leads global teams consisting of hundreds of people. Percentages Although figures are important, they can occasionally be deceiving if taken out of context. For example, a £100 saving may be impressive from a £150 monthly spend. However, a £100 saving from a £150m spend is barely noticeable. Percentages express the impact of a candidate’s work in direct correlation to their employer’s, so they can be reliable sources of data. Have they hit their targets? If a candidate’s role is subject to targets or KPIs then it’s crucial to know how they are performing in relation to expectations. Do they make impactful increases and decreases? If a candidate is able to increase sales by 20% or decrease customer waiting time by 35%, then their value becomes very clear. About the author: Andrew Fennell is an experienced recruiter and founder of CV writing service StandOut CV.

What to Look For When Writing an Experience Resume Instead of a Job Description

What to Look For When Writing an Experience Resume Instead of a Job DescriptionWhen you are looking for that next job, one of the most valuable skills you can add to your resume is that of writing an experience resume instead of a standard job description. By combining writing and job searching, you can increase your chances of landing the job you want. To help you do this, consider the following points.Research and document - Write an experience resume is not only the first step towards getting a job, it is also the most important step. You should research and document all of your years of employment. This includes things like dates of employment, responsibilities, certifications, training courses you have taken, as well as other relevant details that might be helpful when a potential employer calls for an interview. Always mention where the information came from when a potential employer asks for documents to verify your employment history. Some employers will be willing to pay you for additional documents that you might have that could help prove your credibility.Make sure you ask lots of questions - While you might expect to be grilled on your employment history during an interview, don't expect the same treatment after the interview. Many employers will be eager to talk to you and may ask you questions in order to get a feel for how you work and what kind of work you might be interested in doing for them. Keep these questions in mind when you write your experience resume.Use relevant keywords - Career service providers and other experts have come up with ways to pinpoint keywords that will go along with the experience and job descriptions you are trying to convey. These keywords can be used to point people to specific information about the specific experience or the position that they need to know more about.When writing an experience resume, use specific keywords so that the information gets out. Also, be sure to link your unique experiences with the spec ific job requirements so that the potential employer can see exactly what you can do for their company.Use your experience to show how you will benefit a potential employer - One of the easiest ways to show that you have done the kind of work that would be important to an employer is to highlight your own personal qualities. For example, if you have been an independent contractor, show examples of your own projects that you have handled successfully. Also, if you have been an employee, list your name and contact information so that the employer can get in touch with you and ask you anything they might have.Include your skills in your experience resume - While you are showing your personal skills and accomplishments, be sure to include your professional ones as well. In many cases, the only way for potential employers to get a feel for your experience is to see what you have done as an employee. So make sure to include information like names of clients, your certifications, and any k inds of work projects that you have handled in the past.Do not limit yourself in job search - When you start a new job search, try to find different positions. Some jobs are specialized, while others may seem like general ones that you can apply to.