Sony and Bose are two of the top audio brands around today. The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are two excellent pairs of noise-cancelling headphones . In fact, the WH-1000XM4s are officially our best headphones of 2022 and the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 from Bose take the third position.

It’s no surprise we rate them so highly. Both the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 combine the latest in high-end audio technology with minimal designs that are comfortable, look great and are totally wireless.

But they’re not the only noise-cancelling wireless headphones you can buy. The Apple AirPods Max are the long-awaited over-ear headphones that Apple launched in 2020. Although you might not immediately associate Apple with audio products, the brand has been going from strength to strength in the audio space most recently with the AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 , as well as home products, like the Apple HomePod Mini .

But the big question is: can the AirPods Max, Apple’s noise-cancelling headphones, compete with the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700?

Read on as these three noise-cancelling headphones battle it out and we find out which noise cancelling, over-ear headphones are the best choice for you.

Price and availability

The Apple AirPods Max were announced on December 8, 2020 and were officially released on December 15, 2020. Although some people were waiting for their orders into 2021.

The Apple AirPods Max cost $549 / £549 / AU$899. Although Apple is, in most respects, a luxury tech brand this price still feels extremely high – especially in comparison to the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

The WH-1000XM4s were announced on August 6, 2020. They are Sony’s flagship headphones (at least for now) and in terms of price and performance, sit above the mid-range Sony WH-CH710N and true wireless Sony WF-1000XM3 . They cost $349.99 / £349 / AU$549.

This puts the Sony WH-1000XM4 in the same price range as the Bose Noise-Cancelling 700 Headphones . These were announced in 2019 and cost $339.99 / £349.95 / AU$599.95.

Fast-forward to 2022 and you can find both the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones for a discounted price – especially during the sale seasons. This means the Apple AirPods Max continue to be significantly more expensive than the competition.

We’ll take a look next at whether the specs justify the huge price, but an extra $200 / £200 / AU$300 at least is a huge ask for most people. Then again, many Apple products are pricey and this hasn’t stopped them being popular in the past and, often but not always, beating the competition.

Design

The AirPods Max have a minimal design that’s in keeping with other devices from the tech giant. When we tested them we weren't sure about the way they look at first but  they are rather special compared to the competition, with a build quality that feels suitably premium for the price.

That's because the AirPods Max have large, flat earcups crafted from stainless steel, and a carrying case that's instantly recognizable. They also come in a range of colors, including space gray, silver, sky blue, green and pink.

Special though they may be, those stainless steel earcups mean that the AirPods Max are quite heavy, coming in at 385g – for comparison, the Sony WH-1000XM4 weigh 254g and the Bose headphones are even lighter at 252g.

The memory foam ear cups are comfortable and the headband frame, which is also made from stainless steel, has telescoping arms that can be extended to find the right fit for you.

There aren’t many on-ear controls, but interestingly, the AirPods Max have a Digital Crown that’s also found on the Apple Watch. This is a small dial that brings you a more precise way of controlling the headphones rather than touch or swipe controls – and it's a welcome addition in our opinion .

With the Digital Crown you can play/pause, skip tracks, answer and end phones calls, as well as activate Apple’s voice assistant, Siri. Another button allows you to switch between active noise cancellation and Transparency mode.

Apple’s AirPods Max might look unmistakably Apple, but the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 look incredibly stylish too – we wouldn’t be surprised to find them on a plinth at a modern art gallery.

They come in black, silver and dark blue and are crafted around a stainless steel headband. The ear cups slide up and down the headband to adjust the fit, which adds to the sleek look and feel of these premium headphones.

During our testing, we found the Bose headphones lightweight to wear. Thanks to the soft ear cups, they also provide excellent noise cancellation and an extremely comfortable fit. The ear cups combined with the cushioned headband make them ideal for long listening sessions – whether that’s to drown out ambient sounds at home while you’re working or on a long haul flight.

In contrast to the AirPods Max, the majority of the Headphones 700’s functionality is controlled using the touch-sensitive right ear cup.

There’s no lack of style here. As well as the headphones from Apple and Bose, the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones have a refined and subtle design that means they fit in anywhere.

These headphones boast a high-quality plastic build, as well as supple pleather padding, which feels durable but also extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time too. They come in two colors: black and silver.

The WH-1000XM4s have a combination of physical buttons and touch controls. Physical buttons handle power/pairing and noise-cancelling modes and the outer casing of the ear cups act as a touch-capacitive control panel. This can be used to play, pause or skip music, as well as raise or lower the volume.

Noise cancellation

The big selling point of all three pairs of headphones is their noise cancellation. We can safely say they all perform exceptionally well, but let’s take a look at some of the specifics.

When we tested the Apple AirPods Max, we found the noise cancellation to be very strong and on par with the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. During a commute, most of the rumble from the train was blocked out, and with our music playing, we couldn't hear it at all.

Each AirPods Max ear cup features three outward-facing microphones – these detect environmental noise. Then there’s another microphone within the ear cup, this detects the sounds that reach your ear. The point of this is, according to Apple, so computational audio can be used to adapt their noise cancellation performance based on "the headphone fit and movement in real-time".

There’s also a handy Transparency mode, which allows environmental sound to pass through. This is useful if you need to have a quick chat with a colleague and it worked well during our testing.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 perform exceptionally well in terms of noise cancellation. There are 11 different noise cancellation settings and during our testing we found that using the highest setting all but completely drowned out the sounds of builders nearby drilling, talking loudly and playing music.

The excellent noise cancellation is, in part, thanks to an eight microphone system. Six of them enable traditional noise cancellation and two isolate your voice and reject environmental noise while you’re taking a phone call. It’s great to experience the same level of noise cancellation for your calls as well as music.

Like the AirPods Max, the Bose headphones have a transparent mode which turns off noise cancellation and allows sound to pass through the ear cups so you can have conversations without removing them.

One final thing to note about the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 when it comes to noise cancellation is the brand has put effort into avoiding the sensation of pressure some people tend to feel when using noise cancelling headphones. Some people might not even notice this, but for others it could be a huge deal-breaker.

Sony has improved its wireless noise-cancelling approach with the WH-1000XM4s. We found there’s a much greater sense of noise cancellation in the mid ranges compared to previous models and overall this is one of the best noise cancelling systems we’ve heard from a pair of wireless headphones.

Sony uses what’s called Dual Noise Sensor technology, which makes use of two microphones within each ear cup that analyzes sound with the QN1 noise cancelling processor. In a similar way to the AirPods Max, this means the headphones are constantly adjusting the noise cancellation response.

There are some smart noise cancelling features at play too. Grant the headphones permission and they use geo-location data to apply your preferred level of noise cancellation and ambient sound passthrough depending on where you are.

Battery life

Noise cancellation might be a premium feature that’s in high demand right now, but such advanced audio tech can quickly eat up battery life.

According to Apple, the AirPods Max feature "up to 20 hours of high-fidelity audio, talk time, or movie playback". That’s a decent amount considering it’s with ANC enabled.

This stated battery life seems about right to us during our testing, and we like the fact that the Smart Case puts the headphones into a low power mode; however, the inability to actually turn the AirPods Max off is puzzling. Still, having left them in the Smart Case overnight several times, we didn't notice a significant drop off in battery life.

Similarly, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 have a stated 20 hours of battery life, which we found to be accurate during testing. However, that does change a little depending on how high you turn up the volume – listen at high volumes and the battery drains quicker.

Judging on battery life alone, the Sony WH-1000XM4s are the clear winners offering a substantial 30 hours with noise cancelling turned on and around 38 hours with noise cancelling turned off.

These headphones can also be charged in a matter of minutes thanks to fast-charging. According to Sony, you can get about five hours of charge from 10 minutes of power and a full charge after about three hours.

Smart features

All of the headphones have a few notable features worth mentioning.

The AirPods Ma have a useful Automatic Switching feature, which enables you to switch between connecting to your iPhone, iPad and Mac when you’re listening to music and taking calls. You can also share audio between AirPods from any Apple source device, including an Apple TV 4K , so you can listen to the same music at the same time.

As you might expect, the AirPods Max offer support for the Apple smart assistant Siri, which means you can use voice commands to play music, make calls, control the volume and more.

Similarly, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 have Alexa built-in, but you can also access both Siri and Google Assistant by pressing a button on the right ear cup, which means you can also control these headphones with voice commands too.

The WH-1000XM4s have a few clever features, including a sensor in the ear cups that recognizes when you take the headphones off and pauses your music for you, resuming playback when you replace them – a feature shared by the AirPods Max and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. They also automatically switch off if they’re paused for a few minutes to conserve battery life.

There’s also a new feature called Speak-to-Chat, which means the microphone in the headphones will recognize when you’ve started talking, pause your music, and ramp up the ambient noise. So you don’t need to take the headphones off if you suddenly start chatting to a colleague or friend.

Sound quality

Noise cancellation aside, how do the headphones compare in terms of overall sound quality?

When we tested the Apple AirPods Max, we found the audio quality to be outstanding. They come with a wide, well-balanced soundstage that leaves plenty of room for each instrument to really sing – pair that with cool extra features like automatically pausing your music when you remove the headphones and Spatial Audio, and you've got yourself a very special pair of cans.

Like the AirPods and AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max come with the Apple H1 chip in each earcup, which features no less than 10 audio cores to allow for Adaptive EQ, active noise cancellation, Transparency mode, and Spatial Audio.

Released as part of iOS 14 , the Spatial Audio feature first came to the AirPods Pro, and works for content in 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos , which positions sound all around you within a virtual sphere – this means that, for example, if you're watching a Dolby Atmos film that shows a plane flying overhead, it will sound as though the plane really is passing above you.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 sound truly fantastic. During our extensive testing we found they have a vibrant and lively character, as well as a well-balanced soundstage. They offer a great deal of detail and clarity. For example, when we listened to Falls Creek Boys Choir by James Blake and Bon Iver, we were blown away by textures and harmonies that we hadn’t noticed when we listened to the track in the past.

We found the soundstage to be pretty wide for a pair of noise cancelling headphones – these are notorious for a “closed-off” sound. Instead, these cans sound bold and assertive and are a delight to listen with. However, we rate the WH-1000XM4s a little better when it comes to audio performance.

Sony’s high-end headphones offer a warm and balanced sound that brings you a wide soundstage and detail that’s capable of piercing through a powerful bass performance.

Sony’s LDAC codec pushes lots of details through wirelessly. These headphones also introduce DSEE Extreme, which is an AI-driven process that restores detail from compressed formats, which essentially brings clarity to even lower quality audio files.

The WH-1000XM4s impress across the board when it comes to sound performance. We put the bass to the test during our review with Bjork’s Army of Me, and we could hear the masterful management of bass frequencies, with the arpeggiated bass line throughout the song as the machine-like snare snaps through.

But these headphones also deliver great warmth for softer tracks, with impeccable vocal clarity throughout, and can fire on all cylinders for powerful tracks, with expressive dynamics and clear and distinct separation between different instruments. We really felt that these Sony headphones bring out the best of each track.

Takeaway

These three pairs of wireless, noise-cancelling headphones all perform exceptionally well. That means the pair of headphones you choose will largely be down to which you prefer the look of – and your budget. However, each pair does have a slight edge over the other.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 look the most stylish and offer great noise cancellation whether you’re listening to music or making a call.

The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones are, in our opinion, the best all-rounders, with unrivaled sound performance and a fantastic battery life considering noise cancellation is so top notch. There’s no surprise these are our favorite headphones of 2020 and the ones we recommend most often.

The AirPods Pro Max are comfortable, have a sleek design that's sure to get some attention and boast great audio performance, as well as spatial audio. So they're a solid option, too.

However, the price point is bound to be prohibitive for some, which is why what truly stands out here is the integration into the Apple ecosystem, as well as the Apple-like design aesthetic. That means the Apple AirPods Max are bound to appeal to die-hard fans who don’t mind paying over the odds for their favorite luxury tech brand.

Ted Lasso season 3: everything we know so far

Ted Lasso is back in business. The hit Apple TV Plus show's third season has officially entered production, with the cameras rolling once more since March 7.

Ordinarily, that would be as good a reason as any to celebrate. But, with Ted Lasso also landing two SAG Awards to go alongside a Golden Globe gong for lead star Jason Sudeikis in recent weeks, Ted Lasso season 3's start date is only adding to the joy surrounding the soccer comedy show. You should never stop believing in Ted, then, especially when it's up for more prizes on the 2022 awards circuit.

That's not the only Ted Lasso season 3 news to emerge recently. Images have leaked online of AFC Richmond's highly anticipated showdown with West Ham United, the soccer team that Nate 'the Great' Shelley now manages. Expect plenty of sports-based drama when the Apple TV Plus show returns to our screens. Given the amount that was on offer in the series' second season , Ted Lasso's next adventure will need to seriously up its game. But we're confident it will.

Below, you'll find even more information about Ted Lasso season 3, too. That includes its potential release date, returning cast members, possible plot points, and much more. Spoilers follow for the first two seasons of Ted Lasso on Apple TV Plus .

Ted Lasso season 3 release date: 2023?

There’s no official release date yet. However, filming has begun on Ted Lasso season 3. The news was announced on Apple TV Plus' many social media channels on Monday, March 7, which is pleasing to hear after the numerous (and confusing) rumors about when principal photography would begin.

The tweet accompanied a post from the official Nike account, with the renowned sportswear company revealing that it was manufacturing official AFC Richmond kits for the show's next entry:

Fans are hoping that Ted Lasso's third season will launch this year, but that may not be possible. In a TVLine interview , writer-actor Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard, suggested that Ted Lasso season 3 might not arrive until 2023 .

“We are definitely starting later this year than in season 2, that’s for sure,” Hunt says. “So I would be surprised if our delivery dates were the same. That’s above my pay grade, I don’t know for sure, but I do have a vague understanding of the limits of this dimension we call time, and I would say it seems pretty unlikely that we would [premiere] as early this year.”

In a separate interview with Mark Hoppus' School Radio station program , Hunt also stated that filming was likely to end this summer saying: "We're supposed to finish in July, so it'll be quite the chunk."

If filming does end in July, it's possible that Ted Lasso season 3 could arrive before the end of 2022. We'll just have to wait and see, though.

Ted Lasso season 3 cast: who is returning?

We expect all of Ted Lasso’s main stars to return:

Prominent members of Ted Lasso’s supporting cast are also likely to return. That should include Kola Bokinni as Isaac McAdoo, David Elsendoorn as Jan Maas, Annette Badland as pub landlord Mae and Anthony Head as West Ham United's new owner Rupert Mannion.

Lawrence has also confirmed that James Lance’s Trent Crimm and Sarah Niles’ sports psychologist Sharon will feature in season 3. Speaking to Deadline , Lawrence teased: “I can tell you both of them have significant roles next year.”

Based on leaked on-set images (thanks to Reddit for the tip off!), it seems that there'll be additions to AFC Richmond's squad. There are a couple of new players visible in the four leaked photographs, which show Richmond clashing with West Ham in what's sure to be a fiery encounter. Once we learn more about these new signings, we'll update this section.

Ted Lasso season 3 plot: what will it be about?

There are two major storylines that season 3 needs to deliver a fitting ending to.

The first concerns AFC Richmond’s Premier League return. After they secured promotion on the final day of last term, Richmond are back in the big time, but it won’t be easy to try and secure an unprecedented Leicester City-level title triumph.

19 other clubs stand in their way, of course, including Manchester City. It was the Citizens who relegated Richmond in their final top-flight match in season 1, and it was also City who thrashed them 5-0 in season 2’s FA Cup semi-final. So we’re hoping that Richmond will finally get one over one of their biggest rivals in Ted Lasso season 3.

But City won’t be the only rival that Ted and his players have to contend with in the show’s third outing. In the season 2 finale, viewers were furious to learn that Nate, Ted’s former prodigy, had joined West Ham to become their new manager. His appointment comes in the aftermath of Rebecca’s former husband, Rupert Mannion, becoming the Hammers’ new owner.

So season 3 is gearing up to pit the master versus his apprentice at some point. Taking to Twitter after season 2’s last episode, Nate actor Nick Mohammed posted an intriguing 12-point document that reveals why Nate came to resent Ted and opted to join West Ham. It’s a fascinating insight into Nate’s character arc throughout season 2, so it’s worth checking out:

Hopefully, one (or two) of Ted Lasso season 3’s episodes will deliver a titanic clash (or two, as we keep hoping!) between Richmond and West Ham, which would put Ted and Nate at odds on the pitch. As much as we can’t wait to see if Richmond will beat Manchester City, we’re also very eager to see Ted and Nate clash, from a tactical standpoint, from the dugout.

Regardless, Mohammed is about to divulge the direction of Nate’s season 3 arc. “I know where things are heading,” he told Collider . “But I obviously can’t give anything away about season 3. They’re writing season 3 right now, so everything is still up for grabs. Obviously, I can imagine the fans of the show would love to see the circle complete and it become a redemption arc, but who knows?”

Since chatting with Collider, Mohammed has opened up on whether Nate will be redeemed or not. Speaking to the BBC , Mohammed said: "I'm effectively the villain in it now, which is a funny place to find myself. The thing with Ted Lasso is the audience are possibly expecting a redemption arc for Nate, and I'd like to see one I think because that would be nice. But equally I could well imagine the writers thinking: 'no, we're going to turn it on its head', because that's what they did in season two, playing against everyone's expectations, so he might be the one character they don't redeem."

In another interview (this time with Variety ), Mohammed elaborated further on Nate's potential path back to the light in season 3, saying:  “He tears up a lot, he stares at himself in the mirror a lot. I think that that is him looking at himself thinking, ‘What the f*** are you doing?’ And if he’s thinking that, then maybe he’ll see that he’s not doing the right thing and come back to the good side.”

Away from the pitch, Ted Lasso season 3 will also need to wrap up smaller story threads. For one, audiences need some closure on Rebecca and Sam’s on-off relationship. The pair were no longer dating by the season 2 finale, but we imagine this isn’t the end of their romantic dalliance.

Speaking of relationship issues, it appears that Roy and Keeley may be hitting a rough patch, too. Keeley rejected Roy’s efforts to take her on a much-needed vacation in season 2 episode 12 – electing to stay in the UK and work on her newly-formed PR firm. It’s unclear what the future holds for this pair but, given that they haven’t officially broken up, we imagine that they’ll make amends and maybe tie the knot.

From Ted’s perspective, it’ll be interesting to see if his panic attacks remain. Sports psychologist Sharon had helped him to get to grips with them by the end of season 2, but we suspect that they’ll continue to plague him. If Sharon has as big a role as Lawrence has teased, could she return to offer more counselling sessions to Ted? It’s plausible.

Not only that, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Ted offered Trent Crimm a role at the club. In the season 2 finale, Trent revealed that The Independent had fired him for revealing the identity of his source (i Nate) who leaked Ted’s panic attacks. Ted could use Trent’s expertise in a media capacity, so why not hire him? It would mean that all of the series’ main characters are under one roof (Nate aside), which would be a somewhat fitting way to bring the curtain down on the show.

Regardless of where season 3 takes the show’s overall story, Lawrence promises that viewers could have worked out many of the series’ surprises from the beginning. So much so, in fact, that nothing in Ted Lasso season 3 should come as a shock when it does happen.

“There will be lots of surprises,” he told Deadline. “But anyone who says, oh, where Nate ends up in the finale is a big surprise…we felt like we were setting that up from the very first episode of last year. The clues are there. Jason and I are huge non-spoiler people, but yeah, I think some of the writing is already on the wall, hopefully.”

One thing we do know that we'll see is officially licensed Premier League kits and club logos. According to sports publication The Athletic , Apple has agreed a £500,000 (around $682,000) deal with English top flight executives to use of kits, club badges and even the Premier League trophy in season 3. Could we see AFC Richmond lift the title in a fairy tale-style ending for the series? That would be extremely cool and emotional if they did.

Finally, in a different TVLine interview , Hunt suggested that season 3 will kick off (see what we did there?) at the beginning of a new soccer season, rather than beginning with the season already underway.

"We don’t like to do the same thing twice,” Hunt explained. "In Season 1, we joined the [Premier League] season in January. In Season 2, we joined the season in late September. We’ve never gone from the start of a season, so perhaps that’s something we want to get to."

Ted Lasso season 3 trailer: is there one?

No. Shooting has only just begun, so it’ll be a while before we get a teaser. Once one is released, we’ll update this page.

Ted Lasso season 3: is this the final season?

It appears so. Sudeikis and Lawrence have previously spoken about Ted Lasso being a trilogy of sorts – i a series that comprises three seasons. So we should prepare ourselves that this will be the series’ final season.

That's a point that co-writer Brett Goldstein added further weight to in a chat with Mr. Porter , saying: "We had a three-season arc planned. We are writing the end of that story. Whether there'll be more after that, we'll see, I genuinely don't know. But I do know that the story that we were telling over three years will be complete."

Still, never say never on future instalments. Lawrence has teased the prospect of returning for more if Ted Lasso’s story warrants it, and told Deadline that there may be a way of stretching the show’s overarching narrative out for another two seasons.

“What’s tough to process for me as a writer who is used to writing network comedy is, this was the end of the season, but the midway point of the show,” Lawrence said. “When we first pitched this particular story, we said this series was only going to be three seasons. And I would probably stay clean and say that even if Ted Lasso goes on, the story the writing staff has been telling had a beginning, middle and end for the first three seasons. And then it might veer off from that.”

The ‘veering off’ aspect , which Lawrence alludes to, may be an entirely new tale told in the Ted Lasso universe. Speaking to THR , Lawrence said: “When we started, we plotted out everybody’s beginning, middle and end of a three-season arc. This story is going to be over next year, regardless, even if the show finds another story to tell and goes on.”

Sudeikis, though, was more reluctant to discuss the show’s future after season 3. “I feel like a real coach when I have to tell folks you can’t look at season 4 when we're in the middle of season 3," he told Entertainment Tonight . "We can’t worry about the championships when we're in the first round of playoffs, you know?”

That answer is sure to have disappointed Waddingham, who told Entertainment Tonight : "If I were Apple and Warner Bros, I'd be leaning on him [Sudeikis] like a lunatic and putting him in a corner in a little cage and giving him a notebook and a pen. It's too beautiful."

Hopefully, then, we do get a fourth season or even a couple of one-off specials. And, honestly, we’d be down for that. We’re not ready to say goodbye to any of Ted Lasso’s characters yet, even though the show should go out on a high if season 3 is to be its last hurrah.

If it does stick around for longer, though, we could certainly use more of the show’s wonderful positivity. In the vein of the show’s iconic single-word phrase – “Believe” – we’re keeping faith that Ted Lasso will continue after season 3. Whether we're right or not, though, is yet to be determined.

How to hire employees: things to zoom on in a resume when looking to hire someone

If you’re a recruiter or if you work in an HR department, then you’ll be familiar with just how busy the job can get – and just how many resumes you’ll receive for open positions.

While it’s undoubtedly great to have a big pool of talent to choose from, sifting through all of those resumes and applications can be daunting, especially if you’re busy or you have to tackle the task on your own.

Happily, there are plenty of areas where you can quickly examine a resume and see if the person should be on your shortlist or if you should discard the document. And, if you’re happy to spend a little more time with each resume, you can spot loads more information that will show whether a candidate will be a good fit for your company.

It’s a lot to take in, especially if you’ve got to deal with loads of resumes or if you don’t have loads of recruitment experience. That’s why we’ve rounded up the five key areas where you need to pay particular attention.

We’ve got plenty of other articles that are worth your attention if you need new staff, too: here are 2021’s best recruitment platforms , and head here to discover our top 10 tips for finding the best employees . And, finally, there’s our verdict on 2021’s best US job sites .

Work experience

Understandably, this is the big one – you’ve got to pay plenty of attention to the employment experience of anyone who applies for your open positions. And with long careers and loads of information to digest, this is one area where you’ve got to really concentrate.

Take a close look at a candidate’s career, and you can learn plenty about their prospects. A person’s previous work experience can indicate if they’re going to have the skills and abilities to tackle your position or if there are areas where they won’t be able to match up.

You can gain insights by looking beyond their earlier duties and responsibilities, too. If you can see obvious signs of increasing responsibility and career progression then that’s a good sign that someone is hard-working and effective, but if you see diminishing responsibility or an obvious career plateau then that’s a potential red flag.

You can find out loads if you read between the lines. Depending on the industry, if a person frequently changes jobs, then that could be an indicator of personality issues – or it might just mean that they’ve taken on contract work. It could be more pertinent to see if there are suspiciously large gaps between people’s jobs.

If someone stays at their previous jobs for a long period then it’s an indicator that they were happy and progressed at their previous job, which bodes well for your business. Also, be on the look out for concrete data about someone’s earlier employment – measurable successes are more indicative than buzzwords.

There are some final things to bear in mind when you examine someone’s experience. Remember that people working in a different industry is not necessarily a problem – they can still have loads of transferrable skills. Similarly, it’s worth considering people who have only held junior roles in the past, because the right person can always grow and develop in your business.

Education

Education is vital in all occupations, and it’s one of the most important aspects of a resume. If someone has the right education for your role, then you can be confident that they’ll have the abilities required for your vacancy. It’s even more important if someone has just left education and doesn’t have any work experience.

The education section on a resume can show off an applicant’s skills, interests, and abilities, and it can also show if they’ve got an education at the level you need for your role. Bear in mind that their education doesn’t necessarily need to match the industry you’re hiring in, either – a good education can supply the skills and knowledge needed even if it’s in a different subject.

If you’re open to hiring people who have just left university, it can be useful to see if they’ve included any relevant coursework on their resume – this can function like work experience if that’s absent.

Also bear in mind that loads of candidates will have professional certifications that they have obtained over their working life. These will be crucial for many jobs, so pay attention if you require these for your vacancy.

Skills and knowledge

Any new hire must have at least some of the skills and abilities needed to perform the job, so you’ve got to examine an entire resume to find out if an applicant has what it takes.

Many candidates will include a dedicated section on their resume that outlines their professional, relevant skills, so you’ll be able to see straight away how many boxes that each applicant ticks. That’s incredibly helpful if you need to quickly decide who should progress to the next stage of your recruitment process – you can see what each candidate has and what they’re missing.

It’s not just about those measurable skills, though. If you read through a person’s previous work experience, then you’ll often easily see what knowledge and abilities they’ve developed and demonstrated in previous roles. Casting your eye over a person’s hobbies and interests can illustrate more skills – especially interpersonal ones that could help someone integrate into your business.

Personality and attitudes

This is one area that can be hard to read from a resume, but any good recruiter can still draw some conclusions here. And it’s important, because any candidate who can fit into your business and get on well with your staff is going to do a better job – and that’s a victory for everyone involved.

There are some areas where you can make determinations about someone’s personality and values. Many candidates will include a short personal statement on their resume, and plenty more will have lists of people’s hobbies and interests.

Ultimately, you won’t be able to tell everything about a candidate’s personality from their resume, but you can usually get enough information to help you decide if they’re worth an interview.

Accuracy, spelling and grammar

If you find a resume that’s riddled with spelling errors, grammatical inconsistencies, and an ugly layout then you can dismiss it straight away – you want someone with good attention to detail, and candidates with error-strewn resumes clearly don’t fit that brief.

Beyond spelling and grammar, there are plenty of aspects where a resume’s design and layout can reveal plenty about the candidate.

If they’ve used concise, organized, and straightforward language on their resume then that’s a good sign – it shows better communication skills than a resume that’s filled with jargon and empty buzzwords. Also look out for good contextual information and relevant words and phrases for your industry, because it shows that the candidate has paid attention to the job description you’ve advertised. If they’ve tailored their resume to the job, it means they’re serious and have good attention to detail.

The resume’s layout should be clear and consistent, it should ideally use a modern font, and it should be easy to read. It shouldn’t be too long, either, and they should have followed the directions you provided when you listed the job.

Elsewhere, be aware if people have not listed who you should contact for a reference: it’s a potential red flag if they don’t want you to speak to some of their previous employers.

A good resume should have clear contact details and, if it’s electronic, it’s handy if they’ve included links to their relevant professional and social profiles. This doesn’t just show good attention to detail – it means you can make sure that their resume matches up with that’s listed online.

Watch out for red flags

It's important to spot the positives on every resume that you evaluate, but there are loads of issues that appear on CVs, too – and knowing the red flags can help you stay away from candidates who could be more trouble than they're worth.

There are several key problems that appear on lots of resumes. For starters, we'd keep an eye out for significant gaps in someone's employment history – there might be a perfectly reasonable explanation, but it could also be reason to doubt someone's commitment to their career. Similarly, a lack of career progression and vague job descriptions are both causes for concern.

It's potentially problematic if dates on a resume are inconsistent, too, and it's worth casting your eye over the candidate's email address – if it's an unprofessional address, then it could be a sign that they're not serious. And, as an extension, check out their social media for any evidence of problematic behavior.

Consider whether the candidate has followed the instructions you or your company provided for the application process. Check to see if the resume has been customized to your position – if not, it shows a lack of interest and attention to detail.

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