Job seekers stuff their CVs with buzzwords to get them past the filters of automated systems. But the humans who end up reading them aren’t impressed.
The two-page resume is now the norm, double that of five years ago, according to resume builder LiveCareer, which analyzed a database of 50,000 resumes and found that long skill listings explain the textual inflation. The expressions “time management” and “critical thinking” come up often.
Some recruiters are getting impatient.
“I don’t have time to sort out substance from show-off,” says Katie Birkelo, senior vice-president at recruiter Randstad. She says flashy listings of skills are more confusing than anything else and either create suspicion or lead directly to a “no.”
PHOTO CHRISTOPHER ALUKA BERRY, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Job seekers read job descriptions at a job fair in Roswell, Georgia.
This deluge of resume keywords began when recruiters and employers adopted automated filters en masse during the pandemic. The skills section of resumes has swelled with two new approaches to selection: skills-based hiring (what potential candidates actually know how to do, not their previous job titles) and artificial intelligence (AI ) applied to recruitment.
For LiveCareer, lengthening CVs is an improvement. The group encourages candidates to take “hard” technical training like Python and JavaScript, and add “soft” skills like leadership and active listening to “provide a more holistic view” of what they bring to the table.
The short CV is becoming rare
Young people are also deviating from the old golden rule of the short (one page) CV: they think that certain skills will be retained by the AI filters, explains Jannette Swanson, guidance counselor at Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, in the New York State. “They’re trying their hand at this game,” she said. (According to the Society for Human Resource Management, one in four employers uses AI in human resources, primarily for hiring.)
Donovan Harris, 27, a communications strategist in Washington—he puts “message design” and “communication” in his LinkedIn profile—says stacking skills on his resume has helped him land jobs. “These keywords get your foot in the door, that’s clear. I know my profile stood out thanks to keywords or skills listed on LinkedIn. Recruiters have contacted me because of this. »
Since the massive layoffs carried out by large companies and the slowdown in the job market, some unlucky applicants have decided to stuff their CV with additional skills.
Since no one calls them, they say to themselves: “OK first, I’ll add a layer. »
Jannette Swanson, guidance counselor at Vassar College
Mark Saltrelli, vice president of recruiting at Kelly Engineering, recognizes the absolute necessity of including skills like Java and Excel on your resume, especially in the tech sector. But if you pile on too many, you risk boosting your profile, and candidates should expect recruiters and employers to put their skills to the test, says Mr. Saltrelli, who administers coding exams before applying. hiring to ensure that candidates have not embellished their CV.
“Don’t go and put something out because you heard the word somewhere or because it’s in high demand,” Mr. Saltrelli says. If the list of skills doesn’t make sense in relation to professional experience, it will turn on a red light. »