“Insight into CV selection and interview clearing process to get that Dream Job”

I have been interviewing candidates for project management/ other candidates in Oil Gas sectors.
Though I have no formal qualifications in HRM, but over the years gained extensive job specific
experience, skills and knowledge in this line. I prepare the job contracts, description, selection
procedure, performance appraisals and interviewed 100s of candidates for post of project managers/
Director/ engineers/ commercial managers/ field supervisors etc. in multidisciplinary environments for
my projects as well as 3rd party services. The candidates I selected have since progressed to higher
responsibilities and clients are satisfied.

Simultaneously I myself gone through the rigors of applying jobs, attending interviews and received
rejections as well. Off-course no one likes rejection but its business of employers to satisfy them selves.
Its a two way traffic for employer and candidates, while requirement is to “select the best candidate to
fit into a customized environment” and simultaneously best candidates are not readily willing
applicants since employers do not offer adequate salary, their job responsibilities are vague and the
interviewer is over enthusiastic.

I have thought of and given deep analysis of what happened when a candidate (me as well) is not
selected and how can one improve own performance in next opportunity. I keep updated of recently
joined, working and past employees to get the feel of the areas missing in my resume. For example if
you are not selected for a position you had applied, I see the profile of the person if available who was
given the offer. Or some times get feed back from recruiters as well. This makes me understand the
market dynamics and recover from the loss.

You must analyses and plan carefully what could make your CV win that coveted job you have been
aspiring for so many years. Do not take CV as just a paper it shows your personality, attitude and
specialties and a passport for your dreams. If you need to spend for a CV you must do that. Its good for
career and since you are in line of seekers of good job.

Some times, I was interviewer in areas not of my domain but to screen/ filter candidates just before
final interview. This is key area and a responsible job to screen possible candidates based on their CVs,
structured job description, specifications, key assessment & pre qualification check list, so I speak to
few experts who are already working that position before screening / facing candidates. Its dangerous
not to do a proper home work before you enter into a unknown territory and must do a risk assessment
to avoid unprofessional show, embarrassment, uncertainty and gray areas as far as possible.

I feel that HRM & jobs of hiring managers, employers and interviewers are very specialized and
responsible when a candidate is to recruited for simple fact that this business has to be performed
excellently. For employers a right selection is necessary since they have allocated budget for a vacancy
and objectives and for hiring managers its their bread & butter if selected candidate found to be non-
performer or not meeting the job description, they will likely loose future business with employer.

Interview

There’s scope for humanitarian and compassionate approach during interview process and its essential
part of human management and ethical business practices. Globally professional recruiters always do a
good home work and are quite humanitarian as well since they are dealing with aspiring candidates
who are seeking livelihood for themselves or their families, they are on receiving end.

What exactly I would like to go about here. Its a helpline and guide to job seekers to increase
candidates skills and chances to land up in that coveted jobs they have been aspiring for years but never
got through to win.
Candidates

Seasoned professionals and experts are most likely to land up in jobs except when they have higher
qualification/ experience than needed or not fitting into nationality, visa or local content requirements.
Most candidates prepare CV them selves but there are CV writers and assessors who will guide and
make a suitable CV to attract the attention of recruiter. This is important, if the candidate CV is
generalist, lacking specialist skills / experience and job specific requirements, it will get rejected in the
screening stage itself.

CV gets rejected for poor structuring, spelling mistakes, lack of clarity defining your own areas of
expertise, duties, experience and proven credibility/ accomplishments to make a selection case.

Question is how to make a suitable CV to get through the nasty screening stage and progress into next
stage of interview by recruiter/ employer and ultimately win job offer.

Candidates first prepare a CV for the job and position you are looking for. This based on your
experience, skills and your capabilities to fit into the role/ advertised job.
Most recruiters/ companies screen resumes manually while many use automated softwares. The goal of
any screening software is to help the recruiter avoid looking through non-relevant profiles, help the
recruiter make better decision with insights about the profile and help them in doing this efficiently.
The recruiter looks through external portals (Linked in, Monster, etc.) or their own database. Most
recruiter use Recruit CRM, iSmartRecruit, HireWand etc. and filter out matching resumes. Most
candidates have had the experience of applying through a career page, never to get a response back
even if they see the firm with multiple job openings that fit. The chances are, these firms depend on
manual shortlisting and hence the profile is lost in a large pile of resumes.

To build a killing CV need you to get into all details of what is being asked in job description, you must
ensure that your profile has the right mix of requirements, its not boring to read like a book, its giving
few highlighters in between two/ 3 line para graphs, its in simple words, meaningful with impact not
repeating words or unrelated matter that will impel the hiring manager to look into other CVs and you
are left with no reply. This includes social postings, job postings, checking CVs of working persons on
similar posts etc.

So before you post your CV make sure that job responsibilities are covered into career history
adequately, you describe right experience and accomplished for the role you are applying to catch the
eye of hiring manager.

In order to make suitable CV, look into the CVs of the similarly employed people, find out the details
of business of employers, their board members, new projects and future plans. Remember the position
you are required to fill has emanated from the vacancy in projects and part of the budget & business
plan. So if you take care of their requirements well into your CV, this can make you best candidate.

In order to make a suitable CV you may also talk to few people in employer organization if you know
them or request them as well, gather overall impression about the working & environments, some times
you are interviewed for posts where no one wanted to stick and had left, the project is suffering due to
mismanagement, delays, cost over run, high demanding client, unresponsive management or cross
functional issues. Under such situations you should assess closely all aspects of joining new company
and ready to take up the challenges by your self.

Always refresh CV whenever apply a fresh on a job. Every job is different and require requisite skills.
Even though similar positions and work experience a common CV is good, many times the job market
scenario is such that you need to keep editing to make better presentation and variety. You are still not
getting interviews then keep track of advertisements, be regular, devote some time to revisit your skills.

A note for Hiring Companies and Recruiters

To find a right candidates is just like searching a gem in in heaps of stones. You need to be very clear of
what you are searching. Many times employers don’t have skills to make a proper job description and
put all the responsibilities in the JD for example if they want to hire for Project Manager they put all in
responsibilities in JD, the candidate is required to make a project schedule, draft contracts, procure
items, engineering management, design interface, inspections commissioning etc. While all such
responsibilities are very complex & each being the specialist areas in itself and even if a person has all
the experience, he himself he can’t be expected to do all works or works of others and his main job
duties suffer in back ground, but to keep his job safe he might forced into helping and project become
sick on account of lack of professionalism or the employee will again go to job market. Most
employers have trimmed salary package that’s not compensating adequately. The present scenario is
squeezing compensation to lowest ever in the history. This trend has become a norm of the market.

Therefore in order to hire a candidate it should be defined in proper JD what should be main
responsibilities and associated occasional involvement in tasks they are experienced. The salaries
should also commensurate with experience and skills. Remember employees are your best assets, your
business stands on them. Reward their honesty, integrity and output to assure that they stick with you.

A best candidate definition is a person who would fits into the job requirement as well as the budget.
Employers can’t get really good candidates if offer meager salaries. If the hiring is for coveted posts
where the company own business future rests for such post its better to look for working candidates
who are in reputed companies and who can be available for quick discussion. Hiring agencies should
make a separate dossier of such resource who are highly skilled and can join immediately upon offer.

Many debates going on whether current salary or expected salary be asked of candidates. I think its
ridiculous and highly unethical to ask what are you earning. Its embarrassing for candidate, a catch 22
puzzle what to fill in the blanks. The salary range for a project manager vary from 4000 $ to 25000 $, it
depends which company hiring, what nationality are you, urgency, availability and skill sets.

So for candidates this will lead to rejection of your CV if you are demanding too high or land up under
paid to regret later. Companies you will not get right candidate with a low salary structure. In that case
they should mention the salary range so that candidate knows what you would pay.
Remember there is deference in being a contractor and service man. While the contractor can start work
on low compensation and get chances to increase his revenues through extra works, variations etc.
there’s no scope for service man to get better compensation for extra work / other duties even if he can
offer to do as these are considered part of many responsibilities under his service contract.
My advise to employers and hiring managers is make salary filling as optional and not mandatory. You
can ask after the preliminary screening or after interview process. You should also look into what type
of company candidate is working and accordingly decide what you can pay or whom to hire.

The screening is over now come to interview session. When this goes on beside customary what you
wear, how you react, what your reflexes are all psychological things are mostly known facts, but
specific of interview need to be practiced as separatist your self. This is very special area and experts
are required to conduct detail interview. The interviewer should treat candidates humanly, be
compassionate to them and have humor as well. Keep the atmosphere light and sober, welcome &
politely ask candidates to sit, be comfortable and when ask to leave must say Thank you for taking time
and attending interview. Do not be ruthless, too demanding, arrogant or show your superiority. Not
only this will annoy and embarrass the candidates, some times these candidates are in position to hire
you as well or offer business to you but you have already closed your doors for future interactions.
Pl remember employers & hiring managers are business entity and they must behave ethically and
always maintain good & conducive environment as per best practices.

Written by

Anil Kumar
Dated 24 -12 -2018

Anil Kumar has 38 years experience in all streams oil gas energy sectors development from concept to
commissioning and has worked with Indian government oil gas consultancy PSU EIL and other global
oil gas sector MNCs on many prestigious and very complex projects holding senior management
positions