ASK HR: Is it true that HR people don't like evaluating long CVs?

Q. How do I make my CV short if I have honestly done a number of remarkable things that I think would increase my chances of getting a job? Do all HR people dislike long CVs?

Most candidates assume that including a lot of information in their CVs is an indicator of competence and professional acumen, and will give them a competitive advantage over other candidates. However, this is not necessarily the case, as most employers receive hundreds of CVs for each role advertised and it is the candidate with the shorter CV which captures the relevant information who is shortlisted.

The CV is the first impression about a prospective employee to the employer, therefore it should be long enough to cover the fundamentals but short to remain interesting.

The risk of having a long CV is that there is a tendency to include immaterial information, which in itself is an indication to the employer that the individual lacks focus.

In this era, indicating your gender, age, religion and sometimes your marital status would be unnecessary. If the recruiting panel require the information, they will request for it during the interview.

A casual role during your college holidays should only be included if it is related to the job being applied for.

There is a belief that a candidate should have one standard CV. The CV should be customised to specific job responsibilities as indicated in the advertisement, and sometimes to different industries.

Most candidates struggle on how they will apply for a supervisory role, when they have no prior work experience managing people. It would be useful to indicate on the CV any leadership roles they have previously held.

If you are applying for a job in the hotel industry, it would be an added advantage if you indicated on the CV on your flexibility in terms of working hours.

Another source of information would be visiting the website of the prospective employer, where the values, business strategy and policies are indicated. This will help you align your CV to convince the hiring team that you understand the organisation and you are a good fit for the role.

The most critical information that employers look for in a CV is academic and professional background, relevant experience, summary of responsibilities coupled with highlights of achievements in the various roles.

If you have led a project or worked as a team member indicate that because it demonstrates your ability either to lead or work as a team player.

The hobbies and the attributes you indicate is a reflection of your personality, therefore take due diligence when choosing them.

The remarkable ‘things’ should be translated into achievement and only indicate what is relevant to the particular role you are applying for.

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