How to Get a Recruiter’s Attention in Six Seconds

With the sheer number of applications that job openings can get, it’s frustrating (but understandable) that recruiters spend an average of six to eight seconds skimming over CVs and cover letters.

You’re probably thinking, ‘what can they really gain in six seconds? That’s not nearly enough time to show off my skills.’ But you’d be surprised by what a recruiter can learn about you when you direct them to the right information.

Forget shortening your CV. You don’t have to reduce everything to a page or undo all the hard work that you’ve put into your cover letter. Get a recruiter’s attention by giving them a reason to take more than a brief look at your application. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Organise your key words

Your CV is the gateway to your industry experience and recruiters want to capture that as quickly as possible. The bulk of your CV is probably made up of bullet points listing your experience. But you still have to formulate each sentence in a way that allows a recruiter to see that you have the industry knowledge and experience they’re looking for.

This is where a summary statement at the start of your CV comes in handy. It allows you to put specific industry skills and knowledge into context. Start by combing through the job description and take note of any keywords, qualifications or skills that crop up. Pick out your strengths and make sure that they’re among the first things the recruiter reads.

Tip: If you do have a personal summary at the top of your CV, don’t flood it with too much information. 100 words is more than enough!

Use headings strategically

Headings and subheadings help you arrange your CV clearly and concisely while directing the recruiter to the most valuable information. It’s like navigating someone through a website―you want this to aid their experience, not detract from it.

Take advantage of these sections by making them relevant to the job you’re applying for. If it’s a fundraising job, then instead of ‘Experience’ you could name that section ‘Fundraising Experience’, for example. Simple tweaks like this can get a recruiter’s attention and make a big difference in positioning yourself as the best fit for the role.

Order your achievements by impact

It’s highly likely that for every past job, you’ve listed your responsibilities, the projects you led and any major contributions you made. But that can all be lost in translation if you don’t bring the most impressive facts to a recruiter’s attention first.

If you were a recruiter, would you rather know that a candidate was responsible for leading a small team, or that they led a team that achieved above and beyond their targets? Remember to include stats and refer to your organisation’s KPIs. Recruiters want to see more than a list of achievements―they want to see results.

Once you’ve decided what to include, make sure that the most impressive facts are the first on the list and leave the daily admin responsibilities for the end.

Tip: It’s worth assessing whether every achievement you list is relevant to the role in question. Even if you include the impact of an achievement, if it’s not useful for the role you’re applying for then it’s unlikely to get a recruiter’s attention.

Don’t hide your personality

CVs don’t have to be all about business. Sometimes it’s what you do in your spare time that makes recruiters take a second glance (and potentially get you a phone call).

Are you running any relevant side projects? Building a program or app to help charities? Ever run a marathon or organised a sponsored event? These facts show that you’re passionate about a cause and that you have transferable skills. That’s a good way to get a recruiter’s attention and make you stick in their mind.

Do something different

It may sound a little cliché, but a bit of extra effort can go a very long way. Andrew Horner put an end to his job hunting troubles by creating the reverse job application. Instead of applying for jobs, he built a website that allowed employers to apply for him. While you may not have the time to build your own website, it just goes to show that a creativity can definitely pay off and make you stand out from other candidates.

Tip: If you do decide on a less conventional approach, make sure it’s appropriate to the job you’re applying for. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a reflection of who you are and don’t get so caught up in the flashing lights that you forget to share what it is that makes you right for the role!

To summarise, the most important thing to remember when trying to get a recruiter’s attention is to make the key information stand out straight away. Use keywords from the job description to highlight your experience and back up your points with statistics where possible.

Ready to get out there and start smashing those job applications? Take a look at who’s hiring on CharityJob today.

This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated to ensure relevance and to reflect the current job seeker experience.