You Have Just 7 Seconds to Catch a Recruiter's Eye. Can Your CV Do It?

Recruiters spend an average of 5-7 seconds looking at a CV. Statistics like these can be scary for job seekers, but remember that recruiters have a highly trained eye and know exactly what they are looking for.

Here are some of the most interesting figures about the selection process for job interviews:

• The first applications arrive just 200 seconds after a job is posted
• The average time spent reading a CV is 5-7 seconds
• A single spelling or grammar mistake can send your CV straight to the bin
• There is an 88% rejection rate if you include a photo of yourself on your CV
• 68% of employers will look you up on Facebook or LinkedIn
• One in three employers has rejected candidates based on something they found about them online, on social media
• An average of 250 CVs are received for every open position
• 76% of CVs are ignored if your email address looks unprofessional

What makes the difference between a good CV and a perfect CV?

A perfect CV is one that gets you on the shortlist of candidates invited to interview. A perfect CV contains not just words, but numbers too.

When writing your CV, make sure you can provide evidence of your achievements and back them up with figures. For example, if you work at a bank branch and process 800 requests a month, don't simply write "I process loan applications received from customers." Instead, write something like "I process around 800 loan applications per month."

Presentation matters, which is why it's best to use simple layouts with clearly defined sections and headings in clean, readable fonts. It's also important to include a paragraph or two summarising your career, skills and professional competencies, along with your medium- and long-term career goals.