Experience is the most important detail of any CV for those making hiring decisions and including a picture with the CV is considered a good move, said a Bayt.com study.

Surprisingly, education was considered to be an imporant content by only 10 per cent of the respondents, said the “Modern Job Search in the Mena” poll.

The study went into detail on what the ideal CV should look like for hiring decision-makers in the region.

About 42 per cent of the respondents said that a short and concise CV is the preferred format, while 38 per cent of professionals making hiring decision find a medium-length CV a suitable option. Only 19 per cent  preferred a detailed, lengthy CV.

With respect to content, about 25 per cent of the respondents considered experience as the most important element, following by skills at 19 per cent.

An objective statement was considered important by about seven per cent, followed by any awards, badges and endorsements at six per cent. However, about 33 per cent claimed that these were equally important highlighting the significance of having a cohesive and comprehensive, professional, well-balanced CV.

About 53 per cent of the respondents preferred for CVs to include a picture of the candidate, while 31 per cent stated that a photograph doesn’t matter. Video CVs were considered ‘not useful at all’ by 40 per cent of the respondents and ‘somewhat useful’ by 31 per cent, however, a significant 28 per cent claimed that not only did they find it very useful, but loved it when a candidate included one in his or her application.
 
A majority of 44 per cent of the respondents said a cover letter was very important and can make a huge difference in a hiring decision, confirming with traditional job-search practices, while only about 18 per cent of them claimed to ‘just brush over them.’
 
The poll also shed light on how the Internet is employed for hiring purposes by both job seekers and the professionals who make hiring decisions.

For sourcing new candidates, the Internet remains a very important resource, according to 80 per cent of the poll’s respondents, and online recommendations and endorsements are considered important to about 61 per cent.

It found that it was common for professionals to research candidates online before making a hiring decision, with 41 per cent claiming they ’always’ do so and 38 per cent saying they ’sometimes’ conduct internet research.

About 44 per cent of professionals claimed that its essential to have an online profile in order to not miss out on any great career opportunities, while about 35 per cent claimed that a polished online profile is beneficial to optimise exposure to potential clients and suppliers; to build a professional reputation; to gain industry insights; to network with peers professionally, and to get referred, recommended and endorsed.

Despite the perceived importance, 40 per cent of respondents claimed that ‘few’ of their working acquaintances have an online CV and professional public profile. However, about 60 per cent said the ‘most’ or ‘many’ of their working acquaintances do.

Most respondents (73.2 per cent) go online every day for professional networking purposes and nearly all (94.9 per cent) felt that a site focused on professionals that allows them to ask career-related questions is a valuable tool.

This is compounded by the fact that 70 per cent of respondents use the Internet every day to ask job-related questions; with 37 per cent having asked questions about their work tasks through a website, forum, or social media platform.

“The results of our poll clearly demonstrate that in the modern job search, the Internet is a vital tool for both job seekers and employers,” said Suhail Masri, VP of sales, Bayt.com.

“Now, more than ever, job seekers must use online resources to build a solid profile that will boost their job prospects, and brand them as experts in their fields. Our online platform, Bayt.com Specialties, was built to facilitate communication between professionals and to help them establish an online profile, with endorsements from industry peers.”

Data for the Bayt.com poll was collected online between September 19 and October 27, with 10,567 respondents from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. - TradeArabia News Service