We’ve reviewed thousands of CVs over the past few years! We’ve seen CVs in applications for our training programs, for positions we’ve hired for internally at Haystack and more recently, for positions that we have assisted our clients hire for.
After looking at thousands of CVs, we want to draw your attention to an issue we see all the time. It may seem minor, but it is very frustrating for hiring managers.
That is, the naming conventions people use for their CVs.
Here are some common and real examples I’ve seen:
“My CV”
“CV 2019”
“Application Doc”
“CV Version 8”
When I see these names, I have one big question – whose CV am I looking at? And why do they have 8 versions?
These naming conventions, or any variations on the above, are not acceptable. You may be a good candidate, but not naming your CV properly is an easy way to get your name to the very bottom of the pile, or even not considered for the position because the hiring manager loses your CV among the hundreds they receive. Remember, hiring managers only have a minute or two for each CV, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to remember you!
Even worse, we have seen CVs where the name of the document doesn’t match the name stated within the actual CV. This makes me question, did this person copy someone else’s CV? Right away, I disregard these CVs. I have so many to choose from, why would I take a chance on someone who may have copied another’s CV?
So, how should you name your CV?
These two easy steps will ensure that you always send the appropriate CV in the correct format as part of your applications.
Step 1: Save your CV to PDF. PDF is the preferred format and it ensures that your CV cannot be edited after you send it.
Step 2: Name it “First Name Last Name – CV” (Example “Pascal Ambrosino – CV”). This ensures that the hiring manager knows exactly whose CV is which when they download the list of hundreds of CVs. Your CV can’t get mixed up with another candidates.
Sounds easy, right? It is easy! If you’re at your computer, take two minutes to make this change right now.