Almost all of the recruiters I have spoken in the recent 20 years, whether as a candidate, or now, most importantly as an employer or as someone planning the structures and people we need in companies we invest in, have cliches and advice that make me cringe. They purport to have the keys or the secret sauce to the best ways, the best culture strategies, the formats/contents of resumes and cv, etc.
I have hired tens of thousands of people in the past. I will continue to do so in the future. For candidates, be wise, think. Not all platitudes and “best practices” are applicable in all situations.
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Pet Peeve #1: Only include relevant information.
What is relevant information? Role specific? Strong words? What is wrong with the word “support” and “coordinate” when a true leader and a good colleague mostly supports each other and coordinates works whether at an executive level, managerial level, or among teams?
What sense is there in saying you helped earned/saved millions in Microsoft when the expected per capita productivity per employee globally is generally 900K USD annually versus the ability to embed yourself and be useful in an upstart where versatility has more currency?
What is wrong with an experience (part time or full time) in a fast food chain or as a contingent worker in some factory? Irrelevant? How does one know grit other than someone who actually overcame real life and survival challenges that your pretty CVs and resumes and ivy league degree will definitely not show?
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P.S.
My first or some of my first questions to an interview referred to by a recruiter/firm is “How did your recruiter treat you to get to here?”
The first request I always make when responding to an invite to interview someone is “… Please send me your full and real CV. 10 pages. 20 pages. I will read it. Let me be the judge of what is relevant. Thank you…”
