does your cv pass the 20 second test?
What recruiters see in the first 20 seconds.
And what to do about it
"incredibly valuable and sound advice to help me refine my CV and improve my applications."
Somewhere right now, a recruiter is opening a pile of applications. They have a meeting at 3pm and this is one of several roles they are filling. They are almost certainly not an expert in the work you do. They have been handed a deadline and a pile of CVs and they want to get through them as quickly as possible.
If you are lucky, they will spend 20 seconds on yours...
This guide explains what recruiters are looking at, what they are skipping, and what makes them stop.
This information alone should cause you to rethink how you write your applications.
This guide also includes the 10-question self-audit scorecard to rate your own CV. In just 2 minutes, you will have a better understanding of how your CV is currently performing.
WHAT'S INSIDE?
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Who the recruiter actually is, and why it changes everything
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The 20-second Test: what recruiters look for, and in what order
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The three questions your CV needs to answer immediately
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The most common reasons strong candidates get rejected without ever finding out why
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The 10 question self-audit scorecard
This guide can change your applications for ever
Chris Morgan was previously Director of Talent Acquisition at DAI.
Prior to that he has been recruiting for the INGO and International Development sectors since 2012.
He has reviewed thousands of applications, selected some and rejected many.
“This is incredible and thank you so much. My most recent application to UNICEF now incorporates all of these suggestions.”
Senior International Development Leader, Pakistan
"Just wanted to let you know that after 6 months of nothing I got 3 offers within 24 hours: a 6-month fixed-term role, a 3-month consultancy and another consultancy offer. Your advice to network, network, network was spot on."
Senior business development professional
“Just wanted to give you an update that I'm starting a new role at the beginning of September. In the end I got offered three roles and went with this one as it felt the best fit. Just wanted to say a huge thank you for your support in my job search journey. It was really valuable to me.”
Strategic MEL & Programme Lead
“Chris has a sharp eye for what employers actually want, not what you think they want. As someone with a broad portfolio of experience across international development, I've always struggled to position myself for senior specialist roles, and he cut through that immediately. He asked the right questions to draw out what actually mattered, then translated that into formatting and framing that speaks the language recruiters and hiring managers are looking for.”*
Development Research & Strategy Consultant