7 Signs Your CV Passes the 7 Second Test

Meet Bob. Bob is a goldfish. Bob’s attention span is 9 seconds. That’s one second longer than the average person’s in 2020, according to recent statistics.

That’s why we advise our candidates to make sure their CVs pass the 7 second test. After all, people are busier than ever, and if you want to catch someone’s attention these days, it’s best to do it fast.

In the days of our ever-shortening attention spans, what better way to make sure your CV can whiz past the competition than with a quick and easy listicle?

So, does your CV pass the 7 second test? Here are 7 signs …

1. It’s short

As in, less than 2 pages, ideally. Like this paragraph.

2. It’s original

The average vacancy attracts 50 applicants, so make sure yours stands out by killing the clichés: most people will claim to work both well individually and part of a team. Dig deep and think about what you bring to the table that nobody else does.

3. It’s been properly spell-checked

One easy way to do this is to simply make it correct. A recent Telegraph survey found that of 20,000 CVs that were submitted, a massive 90% contained misspelled words! So, if you’re looking for a fast and easy way to make sure you’re in the top 10% then simply hit the spellcheck button.

4. Your email address is appropriate

[email protected] may have been a good move for your secondary school street credit, but it’s not a great move for your CV: 76% of CVs with unprofessional email addresses are rejected, according to undercover recruiter. Don’t let your employment prospects suffer the mistakes of your past! Change your email address, change your life.

5. It’s easy on the eye

As anyone who’s ever spent upwards of 5 minutes obtaining the perfect Instagram photo will know, looks matter. When it comes to CVs, there’s no exception. Make sure your CV is formatted to perfection with our quick and easy guide and wait for the likes (by which we mean interview offers) to roll in…

6. It’s action-packed

Your CV should be like a James Bond film: classy, stylish and full of ACTION! Pull the trigger and unleash a killer employment history in bullet point form, starting each point off with an action word, e.g. achieved/managed/engineered. Prospective employers will be defenceless against your suitability for the role.

7. You’ve minded the gap

To prevent any potential jobs from falling down any murky employment gaps, fill them up! Stay honest but tactful. Summarize the reason for your time off in 1-2 brief and positive lines maximum to keep the cracks carefully paved over.

Get it out there!

Don’t let your CV be a wallflower – now that it's dressed up to the nines it deserves to be seen! Life is too short to waste hiding in the rafters. Get your CV over to our recruitment team today so we can send it over to one of our clients as soon as the next job with your name on it comes up – in 7 seconds or less.

7 Signs Your CV Passes the 7 Second Test