CV format is critical
Here at CV Pro, we often get asked how important is the format of a CV.
In the last decade the development of recruitment software (also known as Applicant Tracking Systems, ATSs or Candidate Management Systems, CMSs) has been profound. There are hundred of suppliers, and with this increase the price of them has plummeted. Which means they are everywhere. They are used by the vast majority of corporate recruiters, and we don't know of any agency recruiters who don't use one.
What does this software do?
Recruitment software receives your CV into its database. Typically the CV is parsed (read) by the software. Roles, positions, dates, contact details, qualifications, salary and other data is sequenced into the database where it can then be found quickly by recruiters looking for candidates with those particular skills, locations and other attributes.
The software also responds to candidates (usually by email, but not always) on their application status, interview appointments etc.
Sounds great doesn't it?....but there's a catch.
To be parsed properly and found by the recruiter, your CV needs to be in a machine-readable format, with the right searchable keywords. CV formats from 10+ years ago with mutiple graphics and colours, multi column formats etc will confuse 95% of the recruitment software products out there. They may ignore whole chunks of data, they may misread the data and put it in the wrong fields where it will never be found. Even simple things like address formats and placement can be critical. For example, we have seen a CV where the candidate lived in a Melbourne suburb, Altona Meadows. The software had misread that as the candidate's name. It was in the database as Ms Altona Meadows.
There is no point in sending your beautiful CV out to numerous recruitment companies or the HR departments of big corporates if it is never going to found.
In answer to the question above, format and content is critical. All CVs prepared by CV Pro are formated and tested to be compliant with all of the major recrutment software providers. You can rest assured that you will be found if the company is looking for someone like you.
In the last decade the development of recruitment software (also known as Applicant Tracking Systems, ATSs or Candidate Management Systems, CMSs) has been profound. There are hundred of suppliers, and with this increase the price of them has plummeted. Which means they are everywhere. They are used by the vast majority of corporate recruiters, and we don't know of any agency recruiters who don't use one.
What does this software do?
Recruitment software receives your CV into its database. Typically the CV is parsed (read) by the software. Roles, positions, dates, contact details, qualifications, salary and other data is sequenced into the database where it can then be found quickly by recruiters looking for candidates with those particular skills, locations and other attributes.
The software also responds to candidates (usually by email, but not always) on their application status, interview appointments etc.
Sounds great doesn't it?....but there's a catch.
To be parsed properly and found by the recruiter, your CV needs to be in a machine-readable format, with the right searchable keywords. CV formats from 10+ years ago with mutiple graphics and colours, multi column formats etc will confuse 95% of the recruitment software products out there. They may ignore whole chunks of data, they may misread the data and put it in the wrong fields where it will never be found. Even simple things like address formats and placement can be critical. For example, we have seen a CV where the candidate lived in a Melbourne suburb, Altona Meadows. The software had misread that as the candidate's name. It was in the database as Ms Altona Meadows.
There is no point in sending your beautiful CV out to numerous recruitment companies or the HR departments of big corporates if it is never going to found.
In answer to the question above, format and content is critical. All CVs prepared by CV Pro are formated and tested to be compliant with all of the major recrutment software providers. You can rest assured that you will be found if the company is looking for someone like you.
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