Hands up if you believe that a two page CV is perfect?
Right?
Wrong.....
It is surprising how often as an agent you come across individuals who have worked at the highest levels controlling budgets of millions of pounds and a workforce of hundreds who try and try and try to reflect their experience qualifications influences and goals within 2 miserly pages.
Why?
Because urban myth has it that recruiting managers will scream in horror and condemn your CV to the shredder should it leak over onto that 3rd page.
Most HR texts when suggesting a 2 page CV are suggesting that a targeted application need not be too wordy. A section on qualification goals hobbies/interests personal details and of course the career history.
A lot of people I have spoken to (after they have been overlooked for a contract because salient facts have been omitted from their CV) bemoan the fact that they can t win and their CV never seems suitable for its purpose.
The purpose of your CV differs depending on whether you are applying for a specific role or making a general application. The content should also differ for contract and permanent roles. A vertical sales document has no need to be bulky whilst a sales document aimed at an agency with lots of differing roles on offer should be more substantial and provide a greater depth of information.
This is not to say that Agencies should then take the document and start firing it out indiscriminately - They should view it as a reference document and use its contents to provide a targeted submission for each requirement that they submit you for.
Remember, If the Agencies don't have the details they require they will overlook you in favour of a candidate who has provided the information. Most employers hire contractors as they would a piece of machinery to fulfill a specific task. If the product description and instructions aren't clear on the box you buy a better-documented version of the same product.
So next time you amend that CV spend some time thinking of the following;
- Is your CV being prepared for a (A) A Specific role, or (B) for an Agency?