Why does there need to be any advice given to recruiters about seeking a new role? Surely recruiters themselves are perfectly capable of writing the best CVs, given they are judging them all day in their roles? Well, while this might be largely true, recruiters still need to stand out from the crowd in order to secure new, competitive roles. That’s when such advice comes in handy.
As an experienced Rec2Rec in the UK, I have seen tens of thousands of CVs over the last 18 years and I think that ultimately what a rec2rec wants to see from a recruiter’s CV is very similar to what ANY recruiter wants to see from any candidates’ CV, regardless of their profession.
I am a firm advocate of a CV reinforcing a person’s profile. I don’t interview someone with a CV out in front of me; my candidates will validate this. I am representing people, not CVs. I think writing a CV can actually be a very cathartic process especially for those who have not been on the market for a very long time. It can allow them time for career reflection and strategy.
So what do rec2recs want to see on your CV?
Personal statement
This is helpful if it is a one-liner about your career objective. It should be NO more than 2/3 lines.
Billings
Yes, we do want to see what you’ve billed. It doesn’t have to say who you have billed with, but by showing the amounts you’ve made, we can assess very quickly that you are open and transparent. We would still interview someone who has maybe NOT billed well as this could be why you are on the market; perhaps you are in a declining market? But whatever the reason, you show us the billings and we know you will be open and honest with us and our clients. Nothing to hide, right?
Achievements
This is not the same as billings. Have you helped mentor people? Have you won a large PSL client? Have you successfully billed the highest fee in your company? Whatever it is, SHOUT about it!
Concise chronological history
Starting with CURRENT role, i.e. dates and position held. We don’t need war and peace about your company or waffly descriptions, nor do we want a list of your tasks or responsibilities. We want to see an overview of your role. Does it jump out at the reader? No? It is probably too lond. Shorten it and make an “elevator pitch”.
Hobbies and interests
Yes, you should have these on there if you do something interesting and relevant, like sports-related, or something else that enhances your life skills. But we really don’t need to see “socialising” or “walking my dog” on there.
References
Only put these on if you are happy for a prospective employer to call them! A decent rec2rec will reference check a non-worker anyway but if you are still working, think twice before you put it on.
Social media links
The first thing we do is check you out on LinkedIn and mores nowadays on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, so think about this before you stick photos up of yourself in your thong.
Some extra tips:
- Keep the format simple and clean
- NO boxes or photos
- Make the front page compelling
- Read your own CV back to yourself and answer yourself honestly, would this CV jump out at YOU if the tables were turned?
- If you can’t write your own decent CV, a potential recruitment employer is going to question YOUR ability as a recruiter, so see your CV as your marketing tool!
When putting your CV together, think, what advice would you give yourself? You’re the professional recruiter, after all.
