Millennial job seekers usually include anyone on the job market who falls between the ages of 20 and about 35. Applicants on the younger end of this scale tend to be interested in entry-level roles, and those in their thirties are often interested in midlevel or first-time managerial positions.
In most cases, hiring mangers sifting through a large stack of CVs and cover letters from millennial workers find some claims and trends far too often, and others not nearly enough. Here are a few common examples. Of course these vary by the industry and the nature of the job in question.
4 Millennial CV Moves That Employers Love
If you’re a millennial, these CV tips will help you stand out.
1. Specificity. Too many millennial CVs are filled with statements like “I’m a determined, natural-born leader and a true winner who doesn”t know the meaning of the word failure.” And “I’m a driven, competitive team player with a track record of success.” These sound nice, but they say absolutely nothing about what the candidate can actually do. So they don’t stand out. If fitting in is the goal, great. But if you’re competing with 20 applicants for the same position, you’ll have to describe what you can offer and these other applicants can’t.
2. Relevance. Some younger job seekers struggle to differentiate between impressive claims and relevant ones. If you earned straight A’s in your astronomy courses, that’s great. But if you’re applying for a job in customer service, business marketing, or large animal management, your employers won’t be terribly interested in this fact. If it’s not readily apparent, they’ll want you to explain the relevance between you’re A’s and the specific work this job entails.
3. Flexibility. You may be asked to accept work outside of your job description and outside of the bounds of you education and experience. If you can do this, that’s great. If you’re likely to refuse a task because it’s outside of your area or beneath you, that’s not a good sign.
4. Evidence of a strong work ethic. You may have just a handful of accomplishments at this early stage of your career. But are you ambitious? Do you know where you want to be in a few years? And are you willing to work hard to make this happen? If you are, make this clear in your CV summary. And show concrete evidence that you know how to buckle down.
Your CV Shows That You’re Ready
A standout CV from a millennial candidate does one thing above all others: it reassures. The hiring process is expensive and risky, and at this level, trust is essential. Hiring managers need to know that the candidate is confident, clued in, and ready for the challenges that lie ahead. Visit LiveCareer for tools and resources that can help you make this clear.