As a hiring manager looking through a couple of CV details, you have a lot on your plate.
When it comes to recruiting and interviewing job applicants, you need to make sure you’re finding the right people for the job, and that means looking beyond the standard CV details.
It can be easy to get bogged down in the numbers and overlook the small details that can provide vital insights into the person.
These details are sometimes buried within the CV, and it’s essential to take the time to look for them.
From their educational history to their other activities, here are five overlooked resume details that could help you select the right applicant.
1. Awards and Honors
Applicants often include a list of awards and honours they have won on their CV. These awards give insight into their work history and ethics based on their performance in previous roles.
For instance, an applicant who has consecutively been an employee of the month in their previous jobs will be a great addition to your team.
However, applicants often include awards and honours that have little to do with open positions. As a hiring manager, it’s up to you to decide what awards align with your opening.
Keep an eye out, especially for personalized resumes with their list of awards and honours tailored to the role in question.
2. Did They Win Any Scholarships?
If you’ve ever researched tips for writing a scholarship essay you would understand how tough it is to win a scholarship.
Applicants with relevant work experience may not need to include scholarships in their resumes as hiring managers focus on relevant work history.
However, when it comes to undergraduates and recent graduates, a merit-based scholarship marks academic excellence and sets applicants apart from their peers.
Since applicants in this category have little to no work experience, certifications and scholarships can be used in their place.
3. Spelling & Grammar
The quality of an applicant’s spelling and grammar on their resume is often overlooked.
However, the fine details on an applicant’s resume show their diligence and a soft insight into their work ethics.
A resume with spelling and grammatical errors is a red flag as it shows an applicant wasn’t thorough in ensuring its quality.
An applicant’s vocabulary is also quite important. For instance, an applicant uses vague phrases like “familiar with” or “participated in” about skills and experience. These phrases do not paint a clear picture of an applicant’s role.
When considering experience/skills in a resume, you should look for applicants who clearly outline their roles. This way, you can understand the full extent of an applicant’s abilities.
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4. Facts vs. Fluff
It might be easy to get carried away when an applicant fills his resume with fluff like “great people skills.” This generic information is often included to pass an applicant off as in-depth.
When reviewing a resume, you should look for facts that give insight into an applicant’s role.
You should be interested in points like “I closed a million in my first month” that clearly outline an applicant’s duties and responsibilities in his last role.
5. Hobbies and Volunteer Experience
Lastly, an applicant’s education and skill aren’t all that you should consider. Some applicants include their hobbies and volunteer experience in their resumes.
As a hiring manager paying attention to hobbies and volunteer experience helps you distinguish applicants that will be an all-around fit for your opening.
Many companies have corporate social responsibilities that revolve around charity and sustainable development goals. An applicant versed in similar volunteer programs will easily fit into yours.
Also, applicants with hobbies that are shared with their future team will have easy bonding with their new team members.
