Dear Technology Professionals, Your CV is Bullshit.

I’ve been on the hunt for the best tech talent for nearly a decade now. I’ve been in more than a hundred interviews and I must have scanned more than a couple of thousand CV’s. I've done the manual approach as well as working with recruiters, good, bad, and ugly. Finding the right people is so important to business and the process has frustrated me for as long as I can remember. This is a long one for me to get a few thoughts and feelings off my chest, grab yourself a coffee and strap in.

Recruitment services still feel like a numbers game - get a load of dull CV's and fire them at a load of open positions in the hope that just a few stick so you can charge a ridiculous fee that becomes non-refundable before the company or employee knows if they are truly a good fit for each other. Candidates can't transform the recruitment industry but they can do better in their applications.

While at university, I worked the summers in an attempt to fund the fresher drinking onslaught. This was many years ago so the job ad wasn't on Linked In but instead in the local newspaper, but there was a phone number or email address for candidates to apply to. My wise mother said to walk the half-mile down the road, knock on their door, introduce myself and hand deliver my almost empty CV that pretty much just said I like music and computers. I got the job. Not because of my CV but because the way I applied said so much more about me. They got a human interaction, they got that I was serious, and they got a real feel for me as a person.?

These days I get bombarded by recruiters, professionals, and mountains of CV's. I'll be honest, they're boring, really boring. They all say the same thing and tell me almost nothing about you, your values, what you're looking for, or any evidence that We Are Sweet might be the place that can give you what you are looking for. I'm building a team of exceptional people so I'm looking for people with something extra about them. It's difficult to walk down the road and hand deliver your CV to a remote business in 2024, but there are a million ways you could stand out.

Applying for a job is a sales task, you're selling yourself. That's half the reason that CV's are so useless, they're full of embellishment, fake credentials of faux achievements and often hidden in pages and pages of all the exaggerated positions you've held at companies I've never heard of. I believe you should treat applications more like an X-factor audition. Hit me with something interesting that tells me what you are all about, tell me something cool you did that you are proud of. I've previously been sent personalised videos or links to interactive websites, and they work, they get my attention and they tell me so much more about you - the person.?

I always thought I interviewed pretty well and a decent success rate in landing the jobs I applied for suggests employers thought so too. But this is still sales, it's like speed dating and convincing employers you are right for them in a short space of time, and that isn't for everyone. Some of the greatest people I've hired had some of the weakest interviews - they still work with us today and I'm so pleased we moved past the CV’s and initial interactions. Similarly, some outstanding interviews led to people who didn't work with us for very long at all.?

The real key to building the best digital platforms and tech products is putting together a team of well-matched individuals who can collaborate. This is why We Are Sweet is a people business and we do everything we can to invest, empower, and retain our team. It might be different in other businesses, but we're in it for the long term. It's so important that we find the right people to join us and I believe there's only one way to really do that - get them in and find out.?

Gary Vaynerchuk said; hire fast, fire fast, and promote faster. He's right, you need to go for an employment test drive. The shiniest CV and best interview performance become immediately redundant as soon as the job offer is sent. From that point on, it's all about finding out if the gut feeling on our favourite candidate was in fact, the right choice by seeing how well the new team member gels with the business.?

Probation periods exist for that reason - is this a good fit for everyone? It shouldn’t be taboo if it isn't a perfect match and probation is as much for the new starter to work out if it is the right company or position for them too. If We Are Sweet isn't for you but you have a good soul, I'll do everything I can to help you find your fit elsewhere and that's absolutely fine.??

This isn't career advice - I'm not qualified for that. But as someone looking to appoint amazing individuals I can share what I am looking for personally. That is anyone with something special about them who is prepared to show it. I know the job search is a grind and the competition is high, but you can buck the trend. Spend more time doing your research on positions you are applying for and put more energy into a tailored application. You're going to be spending a lot of your time at your job, so put the effort in to find one you like.

Recruitment is still quantity over quality for the vast majority. That provides an opportunity for those prioritising quality applications. Do something different, something cool and ditch the detail in the CV, it's bullshit.?

By the way, We Are Sweet is currently searching for a Lead Developer to give the probation dating thing a whirl and see if it is something we want to go all in on long term. Apply here: https://www.dhirubhai.net/jobs/view/3870453955/

Happy job hunting.