For the next couple of blogs we’ll take a little light-hearted look at CVs. The first post is for those vet practice managers reading CVs. The second (published next week) is for the vets and nurses writing them.
I’ve reviewed hundreds of CVs since working as a manager – probably thousands. The latest campaign I was involved in attracted more than 50 resumes. In reality to scrutinize each one takes time, a lot of time. It also takes skill and (you guessed it) that’s another skill we’re not taught at college.
For the next few paragraphs I’m going to pass on a few tips that can save you time in whittling down the numbers.
Be Patient
My first tip is to be patient. Remember your job in recruitment is to find the best person for the job – frequently in spite of his or herself. Vets weren’t taught to write a good CV (or good interview technique for that matter).
If you simply throw out a CV because it is too long, or has been printed in a font you hate, then you might just be throwing the best vet you never had into the bin. So forget the big business rules here. Good vets often write awful CVs. It is a drudge to trawl through a large stack of CVs and at times it can seem hard to stay focused.
That said, there are a few telltale signs I look for that you can use to spot any potential banana skins. (Please do feel free to add your own tips to this article or tweet me at @dave_nicol)
Bounce Practice Butterflies
This is the CV that has about 12 practices on it but they’ve only been out of college for a year. They might be a locum, but then again….
Flick Away Career Frogs
You know the ones. They’ve hopped not just from one job to the next, but from one career to the next. My favourite is when someone leaves the profession to do something radically different, then arrives back in practice a year later. I’m thinking commitment issues and my business isn’t a lily pad, so hop on by, Kermit.
Beware Gaps in the Timeline
If I see a CV I like (I don’t do this for all as it takes a little time) then I sketch a quick timeline of their career, especially if they’ve moved about a bit or been in the job for a while. Then I drop in the CPD training. If there are gaps in the career or the CPD stopped five years ago, for me that’s a red flag and needs explaining.
Use of the Word ‘Horse’ More Than Once
OK, a little bit tongue in cheek, but my point is that sometimes you’ll be faced with a very good CV from someone who seems to be very competent but their resume just has a telltale slant to their real career ambitions. Equine background, likes to go eventing and has a horse back home in the dales… If you’re a small animal practice in London this probably isn’t the right person for you. Why is this person looking for work with you? I’d want to know. Look out for patterns that give you clues as to underlying motivations and desires.
Is your CV a Newspaper Front Page?
No, I’m not joking. Really, I’m not. I actually got a CV that displayed all of a candidate’s career achievements, work history and development courses under headlines and covered in flashy pictures and words, all meticulously crafted to look like a newspaper front page. One word, Disaster! This was CV hara-kiri performed by a poor soul who let their enthusiasm get the better of their judgement. I like enthusiasm but looking at this CV just made me think I might be hiring Bonnie Langford. Shudder. Next.
Dave’s Tuppence-worth
It’s a tricky balancing act between choosing wisely and wasting time when reviewing CVs in veterinary practice. I hope some of these tips can help you. But I’m sue there will be several more people with really good tips of their own. Please do pipe up with your comments.
Next Week
CV writing tips – why your contact email shouldn’t be snugglepooch@muppet.com!
