Your CV from a recruiter’s perspective: Amanda Lamont
Our ten carefully selected questions will help you understand how recruiters look at your CV. Scroll to the bottom for other interviews.
Who is Amanda Lamont?
Amanda has 13+ years of experience in talent acquisition, has interviewed thousands of candidates, and has hired over 500. She has grown teams as an individual contributor and people manager in big corporate, hypergrowth scale-ups and startups.
She enjoys puzzles, fixing and building things from the ground up, and helping companies figure out how to build the most sustainable and rewarding employee lifecycle. On top of that, she can help you (re)discover your career path and define a clear path to reach your full potential. You can approach her on Linkedin.
Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn.
How much time do you typically spend reviewing a single CV?
It can be anywhere from 30 seconds to 5-10 minutes or even a day (when you need to get feedback from the hiring manager), depending on whether the applicant is relevant to the role or completely unrelated without any thought put into whether they suit the role (an immediate rejection).
Sometimes, I also see a lot of potential in candidates that aren’t a perfect match. In these cases, we do a bit of back and forth between the team and the hiring manager. CVs aren’t always as simple as people think.
What are the first three things you look for in a CV?
This is highly dependent on the requirements of the role, which are defined together with the hiring manager. Here are some basics to start with:
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Location/Authorization to work: is the applicant based in the desired location, or will they require relocation and a visa?
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Must-haves: These are defined together with the hiring manager. While recruiters have an influence on where compromises can be made, some things are just non-negotiable. Without them, there is no point moving on to the next stage (e.g. certifications or hard skills).
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Industry/Domain: is their experience in the relevant or a related industry? It doesn’t have to be exactly what we’re looking for, but it is helpful if it is in a related domain, which will set the candidate up for success and require less ramp-up time.
I’m always open to a “diamond in the rough” and have hired candidates who did not have the perfect profile at first glance. Some skills are more valuable than others, and that is something that is unique to the role and what the specific team needs at that point in time.
How important are formatting and visual appeal when reviewing a CV? What makes a CV easy or difficult to read?
I’m quite lenient here, depending on the role. If you are applying for a job in Marketing/Social Media/Content Editing, excellent formatting is non-negotiable. It’s already an immediate indication of what we can expect from you on the job.
However, if you are in an industry that does not rely on this as much (perhaps you are a junior candidate for a technical role that cares more about tabs vs. spaces), I would care more about the information on your CV, even though its formatting makes my eyes bleed.
These days, though, there are fewer excuses for a poorly formatted CV; there are tons of free tools, including AI, so make an effort from the start! First impressions are important, and while I may be understanding, the hiring manager may be rather unimpressed by a candidate who didn’t put thought into making their CV easy to read.
What common mistakes do you see in CVs that immediately turn you off?
A wall of text that consists only of buzzwords and no details of concrete responsibilities, scope, scale or business impact. Basically, a copy-paste of the job description for each of the positions.
Tell me about you and what you’ve done. If you don’t - how can we even start a conversation?
How has technology (like Applicant Tracking Systems) changed the way you review CVs?
This depends on the tool and how efficient it makes my life. It has nothing to do with your CV or how I judge your experience - I read every single CV I receive, no AI involved, only hours and hours of blood/sweat/tears.
How much weight do you give to a candidate’s online presence (LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio websites, etc.)?
It certainly makes my life easier to have other resources to check out to get an overall picture of you. It also depends on the role - are you a designer who should have a portfolio or work to review? Are you a mid-level engineer who “should” have a bunch of commits on GitHub that I can review? Or are you a seasoned manager who has probably not touched code in a while and would not have any commits on GitHub in the last few years (kudos to those who sometimes do).
I also respect that some people simply do not want an online presence - while I’m disappointed when I can’t stalk someone properly, it’s also ok if you aren’t all over the internet. More information is always preferable so that I can make the best decision possible.
How important is a cover letter in today’s job market? If a cover letter is included, what key elements should it contain?
I do not care about cover letters. Yes, I said it. Why? Because they are usually written with copy-paste ritualistic fluff that usually doesn’t even refer to the company applied to.
However, many people do care about cover letters - so definitely get the name of the company right (don’t tell me that you are so excited to join company X when you’re submitting this letter to company Y), and include something that shows you know about what the company does, how it relates to your experience and how you, in particular, would be a match. If you can’t sincerely communicate this, do you really want to join this company?
How do you view gaps in employment history?
Life happens. I understand this very well because I’ve had gaps myself, but again, not everyone does. If there is no information, I might try to make some inferences about those gaps (e.g., checking your education section if you were studying at the same time), but that would just be my assumption.
Don’t be afraid to enter those gaps and give a brief word on what you were doing during that time - you’re being honest, and that’s way better than trying to hide it.
What advice would you give to someone trying to stand out in today’s job market?
The market is brutal right now with chaotic economies. It is about connections rather than the volume of applications. Be vocal - it doesn’t have to be online though it certainly helps a LOT for reach.
Network with former colleagues and friends, or at meetups, put yourself out there and reach out to people who can help. You’d be surprised at how many people make up a village that wants to help you succeed. They may not be able to help, but they might know someone who can. Just don’t sit back and expect things to magically happen because the competition is fierce, and there is no parachute if you don’t take action.
Are there some common misconceptions about CVs that you’d like to address?
Yes, your CV can be more than one page. Follow Amy Miller if you’re looking for useful tips - she’ll tell it like it is.
You can connect with Amanda on LinkedIn.
Read our previous interviews with Lucia, Andreea, Anastasiia or Insight: What do hiring managers look at in CVs?
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